SinBound
by Bunch-o-Nuts
Summary: GundamWing&HaibaneRenmei xover. Memories begin to resurface, but the truth comes out; if your wings are black, you will never leave this world. What can Heero/Tai do to get rid of his curse? And will he drag Quatre/Hoshi down with him? Feedback desired!
1. Endings and Beginnings

SinBound

This is the first story I have written in several years. I hope you enjoy it. However, first, I want to explain a little about the world the Gundam Pilots are going to end up in.

This story is based on the world of Haibane Renmei, or Charcoal Feather Federation. Haibane are the main characters in the story and they look like normal humans except for small, non-functional, gray wings located on their backs and gold rings that float slightly above their heads, which are similar to halos. A Haibane is known to appear suddenly, 'hatching' from large, white orbs called "Cocoons". They first look like they did in their previous life, with their wings and halos coming in later. They do not remember anything when they are hatched and are therefore named for a dream, which they should have had in the cocoon.

There is so much more to a Haibane's life, but I want you to be able to explore it as the pilots do. If you've already seen the series, then you might have an idea of what awaits them. Enjoy!

* * *

A long line of people flowed through the gate, across the tender, young shoots of grass on other graves and to a converging point in the back of the cemetery. Expressions were somber and withdrawn as each person had a chance to hesitate by the massive stone covering four burial plots. No one noticed the young man who stood off to the side for several hours, his denim jacket hanging loosely and revealing the lack of protective clothing underneath. When the boy shivered unintentionally, attention was diverted to him slightly, aware at last that he would be a constant observer throughout the day.

It was the cold seeping through his denim jacket that brought him to the present. He hunched inward, knowing if the cold got any farther, there wasn't much fabric to protect him underneath. He almost cracked a smile at that thought._ Don't get cold, even though it won't matter after tonight._

However, it didn't help with the cold presently.

A hand brushed against him and he stiffened at the person's attempt at a familiar touch.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." A plump woman said, her cheeks red from the cold. He looked at her blankly, trying to understand what she could mean. She balked slightly at his indifference, but tried again. "I heard they were your brothers..." His gaze never changed or wavered and the woman soon retreated to be just another nameless observer at the funeral that she would one day tell her grandchildren about. The death of the infamous Gundam Pilots...

_Or at least the loss of four of them. After all, I'm still alive. _His thoughts had a sarcastic tone and he clamped down on it, aware of an upwelling of emotion that threatened his level of comfort. Regarding feelings, he still sometimes felt uncomfortable showing those to his closest friends. How could he have such an open display among thousands that he didn't know without someone to watch his back?

Those persons he would trust were his only friends. And they were soon to be separated by an impassable distance...and shrouded in six feet of dirt.

Another person brushed his shoulders, but in a gesture as they were passing by. It startled him and he allowed himself the small, old comfort of his mask. It wasn't like anyone would care; he would soon be too far-gone for them to comment.

He shivered with the unusual feeling of letting his emotionless facade slide back into place. It had been only a few short months since he had been told that the wars were over permanently and masks would no longer be needed. His friends had been there at that time. They had helped compensate the loss of his mask. They had been the first to see him smile, although others would call it a grimace. They had also been there as a barrier to the outside world when he had let his first tear fall. He had, unfortunately, assumed they would always be there for him.

This had been the difference for the last week, as his friends were no longer there to offer support when he had needed it most. When his last tear had fallen before, they had been there. Now, they were not and the mask was a comfort he ran to as well as an object he was afraid of. He slipped into its metaphorical depths with shame as he hid his feelings from the other mourners on this day.

The world's greatest heroes had died and the world felt the need to mourn. Some of them glared accusingly as he was the only survivor. Others stared at him with hope, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would hold the fragile thing called peace together. Still others glanced at him with pity and he would quickly look away from those in fear of losing all control. He looked at all of their emotions, their faces so vivid and open...and he hid his own.

Eventually, the gathering by the graves of his four friends diminished, the need to watch over the stolen lives disappearing with the sun. He watched them leave blankly, his hand tightening around the cold comfort he kept in his coat pocket. If those mourners only knew what was going to happen...would they still have left him to keep silent vigil?

Probably not. They needed him as a symbol for the peace. His chosen path was leaving them without a symbol or rallying point. They wanted him to be their guide.

His grip tightened and he snorted softly. A guide. Right. Let the blind lead the blind and they would only end up where they had started. In war.

The sun disappeared with a startling suddenness, as did the last of the mourners. He looked up slowly, glancing around in shock. There really was no one to stop him now...

He looked back to the four gravestones, the constants for the day that had been full of turmoil. Unerringly, he pulled the comfort from his pocket and placed the cold tip against his temple. His masked cracked and for a second, he hesitated even as his hand jerked and finished the job he had planned on ever since the doctor had given word on the last breath of his friends. The world went dark and he knew no more.

* * *

Footsteps echoed down the hall and continued on past the door that stood slightly ajar. The footsteps paused then slowly made their way back. A flashlight entered the room and bobbed around to the corners. In the far left corner, the light hesitated and the footsteps entered into the room. 

_...Double footsteps..._

_...Two people..._

_...They're watching us..._

_...We're safe. Don't worry..._

A girl with black hair tied in twin ponytails crouched down near the small growths and extended a hand. She hesitated then carefully stroked a finger down one small, green leaf. A smile tugged at her mouth and she looked up to her companion.

"Hyouko..." The amazement was plain in her voice. She noticed the hard look in his eyes and turned back to the new growths, counting them quickly. "Four of them. Has that ever happened before?"

The boy tucked his hands into his front sweater pocket and studied the four bulbs that clustered close together in the corner. "We should tell the others." He said instead of responding to the girl's question. He waited a moment, then slid a hand under her elbow and forced her up under the pretense of helping her. She glared at him, but stood. With a long glance back, she stepped out of the room with him.

As the door shut behind the pair, another stem extended from the steel girder, its leaves extending slowly in an almost tentative gesture as it entered its new world.

* * *

That is it for the prologue. If you are intrigued, the first chapter should be up in one to two weeks. 


	2. The Cocoon Turns Gray

SinBound

It had been a week since the five bulbs had been found and the Factory was abuzz with their imminent arrival. It had been a couple years since the last hatching, which was a Little Feather at Old Home. This time, it was a set of quintuplets and they would be the first set in Haibane history. Needless to say, this made the event even more anticipated.

It was with excitement that the news spread when the cocoons finally obtained a light, gray dusting to their outer shell. Guri held its breath as it anticipated this great event.

* * *

The door to the room had a permanent white coat at this late stage in cocoon development. 

A hand brushed lightly over the powdery substance, taking the time to rub it between thumb and forefinger. Gently, the powder was brushed away and the hand extended to pull open the door, causing the owner to grimace at the noise it made. She peered in hesitantly, humming in the back of her throat a melody she could hardly remember.

The cocoons had shifted in the last week of their growth, their size forcing each other away and into the far corners of the room. The root system, which was similar to an old tree, sprawled across the floor, but was especially thick near the center were all five roots twined together.

Cautiously, the girl that let herself in crept across the floor of the room and up to the first cocoon. She laid her hand against the closest cocoon, making a cloud of dust pillow outward and land gently upon her black hair and shoulders. She pushed against the hard, outer shell, trying to achieve something that only she understood.

"I am here for you. You'll be lost and confused at first, but I'll be here for you." She stopped suddenly, confused at the words that had spilled from her mouth. The cocoon seemed to pulse under her hand and she smiled, forgetting the awkwardness of the moment. As long as they needed her, she would be there. She sat down amongst the roots and murmured soothing words that filled the room pleasantly.

* * *

Several hours later, a young man with dark hair came up to the slightly ajar door and pushed it open further, allowing a beam of light into the mostly dark room. He stepped in, his feet making the inches of powder that had coated the floor billow up into small balls.

He stepped up to the cocoons and smiled at the girl, who was curled up against one of the cocoons in an attempt to protect the New Feathers that had not hatched yet. He reached out and smoothed some powder off her shoulder, watching in amusement as she awoke to the touch.

"...Hyouko?" She asked blearily, her eyes wide and unfocused as she uncurled from her fetal position in the arms of the root system. She put out a hand and used the cocoon to help her up. When she touched the cocoon, it was with a gentle touch and a small smile graced her features. She looked so...happy, that Hyouko suddenly felt a deep despair at having disturbed her.

"I'm sorry I woke you, Midori..." He started, but he suddenly had her head buried against his shoulder. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her, not sure if she was feeling well.

"Idiot." She said after a moment, her voice mumbled against his shirt. She pulled away and looked up at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "The only reason you would disturb me if we had guests or if the hatching was going to occur." She paused for a moment and looked back at the five bulbs that crowded the room. "Since I do not see anything out of place here, I figure then that we must have guests."

She turned back to him in time to see him nod at her, his expression vivid as his thoughts played across her face. Her smile faltered and, hesitating slightly, she tugged at his hand.

"Come on. We can't keep our guests waiting, especially if they want to see our new members before their hatching comes."

Hyouko remained silent, his eyes riveted to the back of Midori's head as she pulled him out of the room.

_Midori...why are you so far away from me?  
_

* * *

Somewhere in the journey from the hatching room to the overhang of the factory, Hyouko had taken the lead. He now put a hand to his eyes to shield them from the rising sun as he looked ahead to the fence that was both the entrance and the exit for their home, termed by an old friend as "Wasteland" and "Garbage Factory".

There was no one there at the moment, but just a short distance away, he could see a set of persons making their way here. Since humans tended to avoid the area and leave it to the tending of the Haibane, that meant it could only be other Haibane.

He watched the group approach, leading Midori down to the ground level as the group came closer to the fence. Suddenly self-conscious, he let go of Midori and reached up to fold his hands behind his head, checking the ties of his hat that hid his halo discreetly. He watched as the trio went up to the main gate, something that had not been used for as long as he could remember. He sighed, realizing the Haibane with short, messy dark hair was not with these three from Old Home. If she were, she would have shown them the hole in the fence to pass through.

Slowly, Hyouko approached the fence and the board covering the hole, all too aware of the eyes on him. Without flinching, he kicked at the board and watched as it fell outward with a loud clunk. He looked up at the three then backed up a step as the oldest stepped forward to wiggle through the ragged hole.

As she did so, Hyouko took the time to name the three in his mind. The first, and oldest in the group, had long blond hair tied back in a high ponytail and wire-framed glasses that rested slightly askew to the practiced eye. She wore a dress that had a few frills and extra lace, her ash-gray wings lying flat against her back to avoid getting caught on the rough edges of the fence. He knew she was the one at Old Home named Hikari and worked often in the Baker's shop, giving a few of the sweets she earned to the Haibane at the Factory.

The two that struggled through the fence after Hikari looked similar at first glance. They both had reddish-gold hair and green eyes. They were also both dressed in clean jeans and blouses, something that stood out when compared to the Haibane from the Factory.

The first of the two girls who had wiggled through had more red to her hair and dark green, almost black eyes. She was quieter than her twin, already obvious as her sister Haibane behind her chatted easily with Hikari as she waited for her turn to pass through the fence. He noticed that her hair was more golden than her twin as well as brighter green eyes that seemed to capture the sun. As Hyouko looked closer, he realized this was the Haibane that had just started working at the cafe downtown, which meant her name was Kaede.

Hyouko looked back to the other twin and was able to name her now that the other twin was named. Her name was Matsu and he heard that she normally took care of the Little Feathers at Old Home with an old, human woman the Haibane had endearingly named House Mother.

When all three had passed through the hole in the fence, they turned to him expectantly. Hyouko looked them over again and couldn't stop the question that next tumbled from his mouth.

"Where's Rakka?" At his words, Hikari scowled deeply and looked back over her shoulder from where they had come from.

"Kana took off for the clock tower this morning when she was supposed to take care of the Little Feathers." Hikari bit out, her voice sharp. She turned back to Hyouko and he could see her anger for a moment before it melted under a slightly melancholy smile. "Rakka had to stay behind to take care of the Little Feathers, especially since this is the first hatching the twins will have ever seen."

Hyouko nodded in understanding and decided it was time they made their way back to the graying cocoons. He motioned with one hand and turned back to the factory, startled for a moment to not find Midori behind him. He hesitated then continued since he knew where he would find her.

The three Old Home Haibane fell into line behind him.

* * *

Midori looked up at the five cocoons once again, a sense of déjà vu coloring her thoughts. Once again, she reached out and ran a hand over the rough surface, feeling like herself once again as she reconnected with the cocoon.

If another Haibane were to ask her why she was spending so much time with those that hadn't even hatched yet, she knew she wouldn't be able to give a clear answer. Something just kept pulling her to them.

A dull groan pulled Midori from her thoughts and she looked behind her, expecting to see Hyouko and the three Old Home Haibane. However, they were not there. Confused, she looked back to the cocoon she stood in front in time to hear a cracking noise echo off the walls of the room. A second later, a thin line appeared under her hand and made its way up to the top of the cocoon, winding away from her sight. Her hand dampened slightly and she pulled away in shock, pulling her hand up to her face in her knee-jerk reaction. As she did so, she smelled fresh berries, which made her smile. She stepped back up to the cocoon and softly encouraged the unborn Haibane.

"Come on, little one. You can make it." She whispered. As the words fell from her mouth, the crack widened and water started to seep from the cracks more readily. Midori opened her mouth to give more encouragement even as the cocoon finally burst outward and shell crumbled outward. The water gushed mightily for a few seconds, but Midori held her ground, allowing the water to cover her. At the very end, a body was pushed out with the last gush of water. It fell to the floor, arms extending feebly in an attempt to hold itself up.

Without thinking, Midori stepped forward to help the new Haibane even as a male voice behind her tried to warn her to stop.

* * *

That's it for chapter one.


	3. Misunderstanding and Miscommunication

SinBound

Thanks to Raharu for becoming my beta.

* * *

His eyes opened slowly and he turned his head slightly to either side, looking for a captor. His heart rate steady, he exhaled slightly and let his eyes drift shut as a stream of bubbles passed in front of his face...

His eyes jerked open again, unable to hide his surprise as the warm, teal liquid enfolded him lovingly. He looked to either side this time, following the pale, interwoven pattern that surrounded his little world. He exhaled again, watching the bubbles of air flow from his mouth and float upwards.

"I shouldn't be able to do this." He reasoned out loud, his voice unhindered by the liquid.

_When all else fails, take stock of what you know..._

The thought came to him unbidden and, before he really realized what he was doing, he stretched outward, hands above his head. At the very tip of his fingers, he could feel a slight brush of the...thing surrounding him.

"About seven feet, six inches high by," The young man grunted, then spread his arms wide. His eyes widened slightly even though he didn't understand where the surprise was coming from. "More than six feet wide." He settled back down to the center and pondered for a second how he even knew how to collect these measurements. After not coming up with anything for several minutes, he decided to explore his surroundings.

Kicking his legs slightly in the sluggish water, it took him only a little time to get to a side of his enclosure. He extended his hands and stopped his momentum by grasping at the wall but was shocked to feel his hands slowly sink into the side. Ignoring his discomfort, he sunk his hand in further until he finally felt a hard core.

"What," He said aloud, his voice loud and pulling more liquid air into his lungs. "...is going on?"

On the last word, he exhaled quickly and pushed with as much might as he possibly could. It wasn't much since he didn't have anything to brace his feet against, but he was able to hear the hard surface groan slightly under his hands.

He paused for a moment, trying to regain his deep breathing. As he caught his breath, he heard a faint whisper from the other side, encouraging him onward. He pushed again and felt the surface give outward. The hole started small, but grew as the water drained around him. Startled, he attempted to swim backwards and avoid the cascading water. In the end, the force was too strong for fatigued muscles and he felt himself being pulled out by the force alone.

All too soon, he saw ground rushing up at him. Instinctively, he put out his arms to break his fall. However, his arms folded under his weight, his muscles screaming in protest. A shadow moved in his peripheral vision and before he could really register what was going on, he felt his fingers curl tightly and thin bones shift under his grip.

_The wrist..._his mind supplied, but he couldn't make himself let go even as he heard a hitch in his captive's breathing. "Where..." he forced out, his voice gravelly and weak. He sensed more than saw other bodies moving. His grip tightened reflexively and he choked out the one worded question he could barely manage again, his mind clinging desperately to what he perceived as reality. Another person was sitting down near him, but his mind knew the person wasn't close enough to grab and readily supplied this information to his already exhausted limbs.

The new body shifted, as if trying to get comfortable. Then, a male voice said quietly, but forcibly, "Someplace safe."

Without quite understanding why, he felt his grip slacken. His numb fingers slowly fell away from what would most likely be a bruised wrist, his mind falling head first into the black chasm that was unconsciousness.

* * *

Hyouko led the three Old Home Haibane into the hatching room just in time to watch a body slide out of the broken shell. He watched as Midori ran up to help the New Feather but something motivated him to try and protect the Haibane he saw as his little sister.

"Midori..." He managed, his voice a low warning tone before the half-conscious New Feather reacted. With a movement too fast for Hyouko to follow, the New Feather suddenly had her wrist in her grasp. He saw Midori react and moved closer in time to hear a question rasped out.

"Where..." The New Feather asked. Hyouko paused in his approach and carefully picked a spot where he would be close but not in the New Feather's reach.

Once a place was mapped out in his mind, he carefully moved to that spot. He heard the Haibane ask her question again as he sank into the spot his mind had designated.

The New Feather twitched, which was only perceptible because Midori's face twisted slightly more in pain.

_She knows where I am..._

Hyouko looked at the New Feather, noting the pronounced muscles and the hooded eyes, concealing their color in her exhaustion.

_What would I want to know if I were in her spot..._

Hyouko's thoughts trailed off and he spoke what he hoped would comfort the New Feather. "Someplace safe."

Hyouko didn't entirely know what he was expecting after delivering such a line, but he watched in amazement as muscles relaxed and the New Feather's eye drifted closed. The hand that had been gripping Midori's wrist fell to the floor limply and he watched, somewhat numb, as Midori scrambled back from the unconscious Haibane.

Hyouko dragged a deep breath in before cautiously scooting closer to the New Feather. He reached and softly laid a hand down on the New Feather's back, noting how the muscles tensed even though the Haibane seemed to remain oblivious. Tentatively, he stretched his hand out to the long hair that lay on either side of the Haibane and carefully ran his fingers down its chestnut length. In doing so, he heard the New Feather let out a sigh that sounded content. Without looking up, he asked, "Are you okay, Midori?"

A sound of agreement tinged with pain answered as Hyouko stood up, leaving the New Feather on the floor. He backed up a few safety steps and then turned to the four Haibane girls that huddled in the doorway of the room. Even in the dim light, he could see Midori's wrist swelling. In a moment, he came to his decision.

"Watch any others that hatch, but do not approach them. I'm going to run to the Renmei...I'll send Aki or Kuma in to help you move them." Even as he talked, he was working his way past the crowded doorway. A hand grabbed onto his sweater, however, and held him in place.

"Hyouko...that boy listened to you; you need to move him. And Kuma, he can run to the Renmei. He's probably faster..." Midori trailed off as Hyouko looked back at the New Feather then back to her slowly. Midori stood, keeping her wrist tightly against her chest. "I'll go find Kuma and then I'll come back here with Aki. Okay?"

Midori didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she turned and fled, hand still tucked tightly to her chest.

Hyouko stood dumbfounded for a while before gathering his wits about him and turning back to the New Feather. Pursing his lips together into a straight line, he approached the New Feather slowly, allowing the water from the cocoon to seep into his old shoes and dampen his socks.

Hyouko noted the lean build of the Haibane and the long, chestnut hair that was swept to the side in a wet mess. The woolen robe that came with all New Feathers clung to the body, showing very slight curves of the body. The heart-shaped face and wide eyes that were closed in surrender now spoke of innocence and feminine charm. She looked to be old enough to be in her early teens.

_So why did Midori call the New Feather a boy?_

He bent down by the Haibane's side and carefully extended his hand. He waited a few heartbeats, then placed his hand on the New Feather's back, right where the wing buds should soon grow. The muscles under his hand bunched quickly in response, but when Hyouko did nothing else, they slowly relaxed back into slumber.

After waiting several minutes to decide on the best course of action, he finally shifted his hand to the shoulder, only to feel the muscles tighten again.

"It's all right." Hyouko heard himself murmur, which struck a chord of surprise in him. However, he could almost feel the Haibane relax a little and since no better option was presenting itself, he continued on this course of action.

"You're safe." Hyouko murmured as he shifted his grip so he could easily lift the girl. He lifted the New Feather in one fluid movement, whispering assurances. Finally, when the Haibane was settled, he turned to the doorway. Hikari and the twins still stood there, their faces arranged in shock at what had occurred in the last fifteen minutes.


	4. Request for Help

SinBound

Thanks to Hellfire (not Raharu) for being my beta! She found quite a few errors this time…and I swear, the Gundam Boys will make an appearance shortly. I just have a few loose ends to tie up…besides, I updated early!

* * *

Kuma stumbled as he reached the waterfall at the edge of town and looked back at the green landscape. There was a hill blocking the town of Guri and, therefore Abandoned Factory, from his sight, but it didn't block his memories of a few moments ago.

* * *

He opened the door to his room, letting the light that was flooding his room pour out into the hallway. He stretched his arms above his head, pulling the muscles in his back pleasantly. After a moment, he turned back to his room and snatched an old t-shirt off his floor. He had it covering his head when footsteps sounded down the hallway. He squirmed some more and finally got the shirt over his head, the gray wings on his back slipping easily through the slits already cut into the back of the shirt.

"Kuma." He heard Midori say behind him and he turned back to the hallway to find her leaning against the doorjamb, one arm lying across her chest at a strange angle.

"Morning, Midori." Kuma responded, pulling a jean jacket out from another small pile of clothes. He threw it over his shoulder and looked closer at Midori, noticing that her face was lined with what seemed to be worry. He took a step closer and asked, "Are you okay?"

The smile was forced as Midori turned to him, her arms falling to her side and then sliding up so that her wings hid them.

"Don't worry, I just needed to ask you to do a favor." She replied, shifting slightly on the balls of her feet. Kuma stepped back, grasping his jean jacket tightly as he tried to understand what was going on.

"Okay, whaddya need?" he asked, grinning to put her at ease. She blinked at him for a second and then gave a genuine smile.

"I need you to go to the Renmei temple and bring the communicator, Washi, back here." She asked and Kuma was ready to ask why before she had finished talking. However, she seemed to know what he was going to ask, so she plowed onward with, "Don't ask, please. Just tell him we need him for the cocoon hatching."

Kuma felt his mouth slowly close on the unasked question before he gave her a short nod, shrugging on the jean jacket as she thanked him. He smiled for her, but it stretched at his face muscles strangely and he knew it wasn't a true smile.

She gave him a small, fake smile as well and they parted ways.

* * *

Kuma sighed then turned his feet back to the bridge spanning the waterfall. He always hated this part of the journey to the Renmei temple. He glared at the wood and rope spanning the gap before putting his foot on the first board. As he did this, his arms flew to the ropes guarding the side, his knuckles going white at his grip.

"One step at a time." He told himself, his pent-up breath coming out in a forced, steady stream. He closed his eyes and focused on his next step.

Fifteen minutes later, his foot hit the spongy grass on the other side. He let his breath out in a heavy sigh, looking back over his shoulder at his accomplishment. He fluttered his wings slightly then continued on to the temple that loomed in the distance.

It took nearly the time it had taken him to cross the bridge to reach the temple. When he did, there were a few Musei that awaited him, bells designed for Haibane wings and wrists in their outstretched hands.

Kuma stopped at the edge of the carefully tended Renmei grounds. Two Musei approached him, converging on either side. Swiftly and silently, they attached a bell to either wing and then to either wrist as he held the wrists close but up for easier access.

The Musei, who had a heavy cloak on and a tan sheet covering their heads also had grey, wooden wings attached to their backs, cleverly hung by strips of cloth under the cloak. They had a thin sheet with beautiful kanji written on it. This prevented the viewer from ever seeing the face of the Musei while also ensuring their silence.

When they finished attaching the bells, they bowed slightly to him. Then, they drifted back to line the pathway, leaving the area in front open, which was the only way to the doorway of the temple. Taking a deep breath, he walked the remaining fifty feet to the open doorway. A brush of cold air touched his cheek and it compelled him to look back. He noticed the Musei still stood where he had left them, silently watching him. He looked forward again then ducked inside, not pausing to look back again.

Once down the short, dark hallway, he entered a large, circular room that made up the majority of the temple. The ground, which had not changed from the dirt pathway from outside, continued winding in front of him in a gentle curve. Trees grew around the indoor sanctuary, some no older than a sapling while others towered as high as the ceiling, sunlight streaming through various window slots around the temple's walls as well as the open ceiling that gave a clear view of the sky.

Kuma walked down the path that was under his feet. As it curved slightly, the bells on his wings and wrists jingled softly. Not long after, a beautiful, white gazebo appeared from around the curve. At its side, a bent figure was tending to the small greenery that was growing in the shadow of the gazebo. Reverently, Kuma approached, his wrists coming closer together and stopping a few feet away from the stooped figure.

The person, who was dressed in a cloak similar to that of the Musei, didn't look up to acknowledge Kuma. After several minutes, Kuma raised his hands and dropped them quickly, allowing the bells to jingle softly in the near quiet of the temple. The man in front of him started, and then looked up. The cloak, which was similar to the Musei's, covered the top of his head. It trailed down to cover the man's sandaled feet, but this was not the only decoration for the communicator. Over his face rested a small mask, which consisted of two circles, the top one larger than the bottom one, joined together and rested over where Kuma guessed the man's nose was. There was one large hole in the middle of the second small circle, resting, Kuma supposed, over the man's eyes, but it revealed nothing. There were tiny slits that also revealed no skin, with two to the right, left and bottom of the circle. In the middle of the second circle was a tiny, perfect circle. Kuma could occasionally see a flash of lips and teeth from this hole, but nothing to identify the communicator.

As he turned to Kuma, finally acknowledging him, Kuma noted the decorative, wooden wings, something that was again very similar to the Musei style of dress, but these were black instead of gray. The black of the wings caught the sunlight in the temple and sparkled with the sun caught in its depths. It distracted Kuma so that he only caught the end of what the communicator, Washi, was saying to him as the communicator's hand laid softly but heavily upon his shoulder.

"...speak, Grey Feather." The man said, his voice slightly muffled by the white, porcelain mask on his face. Kuma dragged his eyes away from the black wings and looked at the mask as he opened his mouth to talk.

No words came out. Kuma was startled as he found he didn't know what to say in the presence of one he had always seen as being separate from the journey he was taking. For the first time since he had been accepted as a true Haibane days after his hatching, he was looking upon the towering figure of the Communicator once again. The last time he had been here, he had not even had to talk.

"Why did you make the journey to the Renmei temple, Grey Feather?" The communicator asked again, his hand falling from Kuma's shoulder.

"Midori asked me to come." Kuma replied, his lips numb. If the comment surprised the Communicator at all, his mask hid all facial expression.

"Did Grey Feather Midori say why she needed you to come here?" The Communicator continued, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Yes," Kuma replied while nodding his head. "She said she wanted you to come to Abandoned Factory."

Washi jerked back a little, but that was the only reaction he supplied. He bowed his head upon the next comment. "I am here for the Haibane. I shall go with you to the Factory."


	5. Everyone has a Role

SinBound

After sending Kuma to the Renmei and alerting Aki to Hyouko's need, Midori didn't quite know what to do with herself. After a few moments of indecision, her feet turned her toward the stairs and she found herself heading to the first floor, where the newly refurnished activity room awaited. Down there was also a room for the preparing of food and when she reached the first floor landing, the smells of food in the prepping stage turned her footsteps in that direction, opposite that of the activity room.

She hesitated outside the door at the last minute, wondering who it could be in the other room. She knew that Akina and Sora were in the receiving room for the New Feathers...or, at least, they had been a half hour ago. It might be Izumi making dinner, but if that was the case...

Midori shuddered at the thought, remembering the last time that Izumi had been made to follow the cooking rotation. She only had needed that one example to permanently remove the short, blonde-haired Haibane from kitchen duty.

Midori finally pushed open the door and, in her quick movement, almost toppled a red-haired Haibane that was walking past the door as it swung inward.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Midori asked, holding onto the girl's elbow in hopes to help balance her. The girl looked at her briefly then spared a glance to the bowl of sliced carrots and chopped celery. A dazzling smile across her face calmed any fears and Midori took the time to inhale deeply the wonderful aromas of the kitchen, which didn't get near as much use as it should.

Midori stilled and watched as the girl went to the far end, where an old, large stove stood. It was then that Midori saw (and recognized) the blond and other redheaded Haibane preparing a vegetable blend and rice in two large pots.

"What are you three doing?" Midori asked, her tone sharper than she had intended. However, all three turned sharply at the voice, their actions momentarily stilled.

The one Midori had bumped into earlier was the first to break the spell as she turned back to the pot with the vegetables simmering and added her own collection.

When she finished, Midori watched as Hikari, the blond Haibane, handed over the wooden ladle she had been using to the red-haired girl then headed towards Midori.

"Let's wrap and ice that before it gets any worse." Hikari said, placing her hand gently on Midori's left shoulder. When Midori looked at her confused, Hikari nodded her head down to Midori's right wrist, which was swollen and purpled in the marks of a handprint.

Blushing, Midori allowed Hikari to lead her to a chair, which was set just outside a storage area. She was surprised to find a first aid kit already sitting out and watched detachedly as Hikari gently put a short wrap of bandage expertly around Midori's wrist. Because of this, Midori missed the first half of what Hikari had said to her.

"...what?" Midori asked, her voice bewildered and she shook her head to clear it of her thoughts. Hikari's lips thinned and she turned away for a minute before turning back with a bag of ice, plopping it softly on Midori's wrist.

"I said that Kaede, Matsu and myself are making uma-ni and rice for lunch." Hikari repeated softly, her back still to Midori as she packed everything into the first aid kit neatly.

"Why?" Midori asked softly, folding her good hand on top of the makeshift ice pack and not looking at the other Haibane, even though she could hear the blond shift toward her.

After a few seconds of silence, the clasps on the first aid kit snapped shut and the cold, metal box was placed in Midori's lap.

"Sometimes, it's the little things that count as much as the taking care of the Newly Hatched, just because the small detail is taken care of rather than forgotten." Hikari smiled as Midori stood with the first aid box in her arms. "Lunch will be brought up in a couple hours."

Midori hesitated then smiled at Hikari before she left the kitchen to head back upstairs.

* * *

Hyouko stood next to the cracking cocoon, his heart thumping wildly as the crack grew larger. As the water streamed out and splashed across his sweater, he held his arms wide. Very quickly, they were filled with a limp body. Hyouko pulled back from the stream, murmuring reassurances as he felt hands grasp unusually tight to his shoulders.

"It's scary, I know. But you're safe now," he whispered, not moving his arms from around the New Feather's upper arms. He continued in this vain until the New Feather's muscles went lax. Hyouko hesitated even as his arms trembled with fatigue before removing one hand.

In one fluid motion, he bent down and caught at the New Feather's legs, bringing the boy with damp, dark hair up into his arms. He watched as the muscles tightened and the face furrowed in confusion before relaxing in slumber again.

Swallowing heavily, he walked briskly from the room, leaving the three remaining cocoons to be watched over by Aki, a 15 year old Haibane that had been 'born' four years ago.

He walked down the hall and shouldered open the door to the room prepared to welcome the New Feathers.

They had assumed that all five would be of the same gender so only one room had been cleaned and readied for their arrival. Only now did Hyouko realize this was a bad idea as he looked down at the boy in his arms again.

As he stepped though the doorway, Hyouko could feel four pairs of eyes on him and he looked up to see who was in the room. Akina and Sora, two 14 year old Haibane girls that had been born almost a year apart but were inseparable friends sat at the edge of the far bed, tenderly taking care of the girl New feather he had brought here earlier in the day. Midori was perched on the edge of the bed closest to the doorway while Izumi, the oldest Haibane at the Factory beyond Midori and himself, lounged in a beat up rocking chair.

He instinctively moved to Midori, someone he had known practically since the day he had hatched from his own cocoon. However, she got up and moved away and it wasn't until Izumi pulled down the covers that Hyouko remembered the boy in his arms. Blushing, he put the New Feather in the bed, being sure to roll him onto his side so that he would not hurt the buds for the wings on his back.

After he finished, he watched as Izumi pulled the covers back up and stepped nxt to Midori again. This time, she did not pull away but instead leaned towards him.

"How is it going?" She asked, her voice a bare whisper. Hyouko rolled his eyes at her and gave her a long-suffering sigh. She smiled and replied for him, "That boring, huh? It's only been three hours since the first one hatched; it can't be that terrible."

Hyouko just gave her a one-sided glance before focusing on the room again. His eyes fell on the girl in the back of the room once again and he finally bothered to ask about her.

"How is she?" he asked.

Midori's brow furrowed in confusion and turned to him, asking, "Who are you talking about?"

"The other New Feather. How is she?" Hyouko asked again, his eyes looking over Akina and Sora as well, noting they did not seem harmed or scared of the New Feather that had reacted so strongly before. It was the muffled laughter from Midori that tore his attention away from his observations.

Midori had a hand lightly over her mouth and was laughing softly, her eyes sparkling in mirth. When Hyouko looked at her confused, Midori only laughed more, garnering Izumi's attention.

"What?" Hyouko asked sullenly, stuffing his hands in his sweater pocket. He latched his hands together and ducked his eyes, wishing she would tell him what was so funny.

Finally, Midori stopped laughing and wiped at the tears that were gathering at her eyes. "So far, all of the New Feathers are boys. He may have long hair, but he is very much a boy."

Hyouko stared at her for a moment, then felt a blush creep up his neck and face as he remembered what he had thought when he had assumed the first Haibane had been a girl.

Hyouko quickly turned away from the room at large, saying he had to get back to Aki and the hatching room. He heard Midori snicker slightly, but he didn't turn around so that she could see his blush. Instead, he hurried back to the hatching room like he had said he would. However, one thought plagued his mind as he left.

_It was a __boy...?  
_

* * *

Aki watched as Hyouko hurried out of the room with the newest hatched Haibane. Although he had seen hatchings before, he was always surprised at how different the New Feathers looked without their halos or small, gray wings, from which they derived their names as a group. They were also dressed in such weird robes, those which were never worn again after the wings came through.

Finally, each New Feather smelled weird, with a different smell that could identify each one as separate and unique. After a few days in Guri, they lost this unique smell as they became a part of this world and were comfortable with their surroundings. It was the Little Feathers that had first brought this strange notion to his mind and it had been shortly after Akina had been born. Dai and Shouta, who had long since flown over the wall, had made a passionate comment that Akina had smelled like fresh rain upon a field of flowers. After their departure, Aki had remembered them by making sure to note the smell of each new Haibane.

Remembering this, Aki lifted his nose and sniffed gingerly at the room, noting that the left side, where the first New Feather had come from, smelled faintly of berries, with strawberry being the most prominent. Aki smiled then moved slightly to the right and sniffed again, smelling a bitter smell that was more oil and sweat, but still sweet and original to that New Feather.

"I wonder what Dai and Shouta would say about the five New Feathers." Aki muttered, smiling slightly at their memory. His voice, however, had masked the first dull thump that had come from the cocoon to the back left of the room.

Aki was ripped from his thoughts when a much louder crack filled the room and looked up in time to see water gush out of the cocoon to the far left. No sooner did he register this and begin to head towards the cocoon when the cocoon that had taken up the center of the room cracked open as well. Before Aki could decide what to do, the cocoon caved in and water gushed out as well.

The cocoon to the left pushed the Haibane out and into the world first, his golden blonde hair catching the sparse sunlight in the room. A second later, a tall, gangly youth was expelled from the second cocoon that had cracked, the fourth in all, his dark brown hair that was almost black covering his face.

Aki hesitated, and then slowly approached the New Feather closest to him.

The New Feather was tall, his hair already drying into a light brown with hair slightly past his ears and swiped to the right to cover his right eye. His hair was still plastered by the water from the cocoon and Aki noted his eyes appeared to be closed.

He sniffed gingerly, then smiled at the spicy tang that entered his nose.

_Pine and grass..._Aki though, his smile continuing to spread across his face as he turned towards the other, blonde one. _Seawater and pine...how interesting..._

He moved close to the dark-haired New Feather to help when a voice from behind him stopped his movements. Aki pivoted slowly on his heels and saw Hyouko standing in the doorway, his face contorted in fear. Just behind him, Aki could make out the covered face of the communicator and the tall form of Kuma stood beside Washi.

Aki felt a slight pressure on the back of his neck, similar to fingers pressing against the base of his neck. Hyouko's face went pale and he said something, but Aki couldn't make it out as he felt himself falling forward, his vision narrowing and turning black.

_What...happened...?  
_

* * *

Again, thanks to Hellfire for her constant vigilance.

One final note I do have…if you have ANY questions about the anime, "Haibane Renmei", that are not answered in two chapters, ask me. I may need to be reminded of what would be pertinent information to add and where. If it will be answered shortly, I'll let you know when to expect it by. Any criticism is also welcome for this story.


	6. Reactions and Carryover

SinBound

Hyouko noticed the amount of water in the hall outside the hatching room first. Although the floor outside the room had been damp when he had brought the second New Feather to the room, it now had at least one centimeter of standing water in the hall. Heart pounding wildly, he moved quickly to the doorway.

Inside the room, there were four broken cocoons, water still gushing lazily out of two of them.

He felt someone approach behind him as he continued to analyze the scene and a quick look confirmed that the two approaching figures meant no harm. He turned back to Aki, the young four year old Haibane, but who looked to be fifteen in human years, was sitting next to the cocoon that had cracked closest to the door. In relation, he was almost on top of the New Feather that lay crumpled by the cocoon's side. Too close...

Hyouko was aware that something strangled emerged from his mouth, some warning to Aki. He watched as Aki turned toward him and, for a moment, past and present blurred and he saw Midori in Aki's place. His face paled as he watched the New Feather, who had seemed unconscious before, rise up quickly and extend his hand in an almost snake-like motion.

The hand struck quickly at Aki's exposed neck. The unsuspecting youth never lost his small smile as he fell forward, his eyes closing slowly.

Without hesitating, Hyouko ran forward and caught Aki by the shoulders before the boy hit the floor. Without thinking, his hands flew to the boy's neck, hoisting the limp body onto his lap. The steady rhythm under his fingers caused an immense upwelling of relief to flood his system even though he didn't know how he knew the technique or exactly what it meant. In the back of his mind, though, he was aware that it meant Aki still lived.

Hyouko looked up at the tall youth who lay on the floor in front of him. The New Feather was struggling against unconsciousness and was flexing his limbs, almost as if he planned to run from what he thought was an unsafe situation.

Hyouko quickly looked to the left, noting the unmoving, blonde Haibane that rested there. His face was turned to him and relaxed in slumber, his back rising and falling gently with each breath.

He turned back to the other, conscious New Feather only to note that the tall, New Feather's emerald-green eyes no longer rested on him. He was focused, instead, on the blond just beyond his reach.

Hyouko watched as the brunette extended his hand towards the blonde, his face a mask of concentration. Taking advantage of the situation, Hyouko properly scooped Aki into his arms and slid backwards across the water-soaked floor and to the safe proximity of Kuma and Washi, the two strangers that he had seen earlier that were now known friends and standing in the doorway. The three of them watched as the brunette extended his hand until he touched the blonde's robe. A smile stole across his impassive face quickly and he mouthed something to his unconscious companion. With that, he too finally relaxed into unconsciousness.

* * *

Washi watched the scenario play out in slow motion, unwilling to step forward and intrude lest he make the situation worse.

When he saw the tall, brunette New Feather relax his guard at last, he stole past Hyouko and the unconscious Haibane in his arms without a noise. _Aki..._his mind reminded him and he nodded in acknowledgement of the fact.

Washi stopped a few feet away from the two New Feathers, noting that the tall one had entangled the blonde's robe in his fingers. Both slept with content expressions upon their faces and Washi turned back to Kuma and Hyouko.

"We need to move them to a dry room. There, I can find out why they are reacting so strongly to their surroundings." Washi explained, laying his staff on the floor a few meters away from the tall brunette. He then shifted his weight and carefully lifted the young man by grabbing under his arms and lifting him up and on to his back in a fluid motion that left Kuma staring. Hyouko, luckily, was not struck into speechlessness.

"What about Aki?" The oldest Haibane in the room asked, standing with the teenage boy in his arms.

"Bring him too. I can make sure there shall be no lasting effects upon him. Kuma, you will bring the blonde to the other room that you prepared for the New Feathers then wait here for the last one to hatch. When he does, you shall come back and inform us. Understood?"

Kuma nodded dumbly then shifted the blonde into his arms.

Washi looked at the two conscious Haibane, taking the time to see that they were distracted before carefully shifting the brunette on his back and nudging his staff even further from the last cocoon with his foot. Then, moving his head sharply to the left, he said, "Let's go."

Numb, the two walked quietly to the prepared room and Washi followed from behind.

* * *

Once they reached the other room and deposited each unconscious Haibane on an empty bed, Washi stepped up to the first New Feather that had been born. He brushed the long hair aside and undid the small ties in back. As the shift fell open, he took the time to run his hands over the swollen, purple wing buds carefully, noting that a fever did not yet run through his cool body. He continued to check their growth in a slow manner, which gave him time to determine if these New Feathers were going to be problem Haibane or not during their Wing Growth.

It had been rumored by the communicator before him that sometimes, there were some Haibane born into this world that carried over primal instincts from their previous life. Washi had already seen this manifest itself before in others, but he had never witnessed it in a violent manner before. This "carry over" explained why Rakka, the Haibane that worked at the temple with him and the Musei, would sing occasionally to pass the time. When asked about it, she could never explain it nor could she put words to the nonsense tune that she hummed beneath her breath, but it prevailed in her waking moments nonetheless.

The theory of "carry over" also helped explain why some Haibane knew how to ride a bike and skateboard while others did not and had to learn the skill. This also applied to baking, sewing, reading, and many other basic skills.

However, it also applied to two cases his predecessor had come across during his reign as the Renmei...and it also explained himself as well.

There were Haibane born that would carry over more sinister problems. One such problem, which existed in many Haibane born in the circle of sin, was the enactment of nightmares, especially if they were woken suddenly or unexpectedly. The Haibane would lash out or react unconsciously on the dream until they were able to mentally rouse from the dream enough to separate it from reality.

_If this could happen to previous Haibane...who is to say it hasn't happened to these five as well? These five, who do not yet have their wings to prove they are free from sin..._Washi silently thought as he ran a finger down the swollen lump again, feeling a slightly hard bump that would probably end up being a section of the wing frame.

* * *

Thanks to Hellfire once again for everything you did for this story. I hope you all are enjoying it... 


	7. The Last Birth

SinBound

"Washi? Are you all right?" A hand was laid on his shoulder softly, pulling him from his thoughts. Washi looked up and smiled at the blonde Haibane, her face furrowed in concern.

"...I am all right." Washi replied belatedly, remembering at last the porcelain mask that he used to hide from the world.

Sighing about the encumbrance, he stood up slowly, the bells decorating his cardboard wings jingling softly. He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, just under her short, wavy curls and thanked Izumi for her concern.

"There is nothing I can do at this time. Be careful around them and I shall stay until their wings emerge. Until then..." however, Washi stopped suddenly. From the hall came the sound of running footsteps. A moment later, the door flew open and Kuma was in the doorway, panting.

"Kuma?" Midori asked, standing from her chair. "What's wrong?" She continued when Kuma said nothing but stood in the doorway bent over his knees.

Everyone but the four New Feathers in the room stood when Kuma still said nothing. Finally, Kuma put a hand against the doorframe and levered himself up. His arm that he was using for the task trembled slightly but he faced the room.

The left side of Kuma's face was raised and red, the corners of the injury already purpling in a bruise. He grinned softly for them all and said, "Didn't think I would have to explain..."

Anything else he might have said was cut off as Izumi and Midori swarmed around him, gently prodding the bruised area, crooning about his injury and attempting to help bandage or put a soothing balm on it.

Hyouko looked over to Washi only to see the old communicator walking sedately out the door. Looking quickly over the four unconscious New Feathers and Aki, he turned and followed Washi out the door, confident that the girls and Kuma would be able to take care of the others.

* * *

The strange substance that had ensconced the boy ever since he had awoken from a strange dream finally crumbled under the pressure he exerted. The water in which he had awoken in tugged around him and forced him out of the growing hole. For some reason, he felt appalled at his own weakness and, once he made contact with the cold, steel floor, he forced himself up to look around on arms that wobbled precariously under his weight.

"Are you okay?" A young voice asked. His head snapped towards the source, fear and shame flooding him at not having seen the boy who had stood in the corner.

The young boy approached slowly, his steps speaking of caution. As the boy came within a few feet, he noticed a strange oblong shape off to the boy's right that was hidden in shadow. Although the boy didn't seem to be a threat, he somehow knew that the object to the side offered a sense of comfort and protection.

Ignoring the fatigue in his muscles, he rolled past the new boy and grabbed on to the staff that settled into his hands easily in an offensive stance.

The boy, who had quickly pulled back as the other tumbled past him, put out his hands as if to calm a wild animal. Fighting the exhaustion that ran through him, he jabbed with the end of the staff to make the boy back up and give him some space. The boy didn't listen but approached again so that, like any wild animal, he struck outward in a show of force to get what he wanted.

The staff connected solidly with the other's face. It was hard enough to leave a mark as well as stun the boy but not enough to cause any permanent harm.

The boy brought a hand to his rapidly swelling cheek, his eyes full of surprise. After a moment's hesitation, the boy turned and fled out the open door.

He made an attempt to follow but his muscles protested his movement so he planted the staff to help support his weight. At the splash the staff made, he looked down and shifted his feet slightly, making the water ripple and his robe swirl around slightly in the clean water. He turned around and watched as the robe followed a half second behind the movement of his body.

When his back was to the door, he looked up. Later, he could not recall why he did that when every sense in him hated to think about his back being to an open door. For whatever reason he did it, he looked up to see the five large, white spheres that took up most of the room. One side of each of the spheres was broken and crumbled, with a small pool of the similar water he had been enclosed with, resting on the floor of each sphere.

Bending down stiffly, he picked up a small chunk of the broken sphere, his fingers splayed across the inside of the sphere, which he recalled as being soft and spongy.

The outside of the piece was ribbed with what appeared to be veins but were the same color and texture as the rest of the outside. The inside, while soft, was not the same texture as he remembered.

"We call them cocoons. It is how you came to be in this world." A soft, kind voice said behind him.

He felt quickly for the staff that should be at his side, the piece of the sphere falling, forgotten for now, to the wet floor. The staff was found and he gripped it tightly with one hand. As he prepared to swing, however, he felt resistance.

"There is no need for violence now. We won't hurt you." The kind voice continued.

A part of him believed what he heard and wanted to rest so badly. But another part of him wanted to pull back, to not trust what he heard because it had been easier to be alone in times past. After all, that dream of his had been permeated with that concept...

He placed both hands on the staff and gave a light-hearted tug. When the staff still didn't give way, he sat back, as far away from the old voice as possible. Once he was where he felt safe, he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He settled his face down upon the makeshift pillow, making sure to keep an eye on the old, robed man and the young male, who now held the staff in his hands.

They were expecting him to just give in to them. He was determined to make them wait a long time.

* * *

It was several minutes of them sitting on opposite sides of the room before the New Feather's eyes started to drift shut.

Washi and Hyouko waited patiently, even as the boy would take the time to wake himself back up with a start and reposition himself, turning his Prussian blue eyes on the pair once again. A couple of moments later and the New Feather's head would slip down to rest on his lap once again, his eyes slipping shut in sleep only to have the process repeat itself.

After an hour of this struggle, the New Feather's head slipped down again and his eyes closed.

Hyouko sighed and moved his weight from one foot to another, wondering idly how much longer this dance was going to last when Washi, who had remained completely still the entire time, shifted.

Hyouko looked to the New Feather and noticed the boy had not started from his resting position like he had so many times before. The boy's eyes were still closed and his breathing pattern had settled into a deep, even rhythm.

"He has finally succumbed to his exhaustion. Go pick him up and we'll take him to the room you prepared for all of them." Washi said as he plucked the staff from Hyouko's lax grip. The older Haibane stuttered as this news was perceived but by the time he was able to form a coherent sentence, the communicator was already gone.

"Clever, Washi. Very clever." Hyouko muttered and slowly approached the New Feather.

The last of the five New Feathers had been the most tense out of all of them as well as the least trusting. The last thing he wanted was to end up like Kuma or Aki for having upset one of them.

"And you left me here alone, Washi!" Hyouko muttered out loud, his mind going ahead and making the parallels between this case and the other three incidents where someone had come away hurt.

Hyouko crouched next to the boy and waved his hand in front of the boy's face, his muscles tensed and ready to run away.

The New Feather didn't react. Hyouko chewed on his lower lip then slowly reached out and slipped one hand just below the New Feather's bent neck while the other one slipped under the boy's bent knees. He pulled the youth up against his chest slowly before standing, very aware that one wrong move might awaken the New Feather.

Hyouko didn't want to see or imagine what the New Feather might attempt if he were to awake in Hyouko's arms.

Making sure each step was controlled and gentle, he made his way back to the room prepared for the New Feathers.

* * *

Thanks to Hellfire, once again, for being my beta.

She made a comment that she couldn't believe the floor was steel in the room where the boys are born and I hope that didn't confuse the rest of you. Where they are "born" and live is called Abandoned Factory. It is named this because the construction halted when one of the first Haibane was born there. Therefore, some rooms have steel flooring and others have completed rooms, with carpet or wood flooring.


	8. The First Cocoon Dream

SinBound

The smell of something good came from the entrance to the room and each conscious person turned from what they were doing toward the front door, where Hikari stood with a few chipped bowls and chopsticks.

"Dinner is ready." Hikari said softly, her wide eyes behind her glasses traveling over the five occupied beds filled with New Feathers. She then looked to the far right of the room, where chairs had been brought together so that the Abandoned Factory Haibane could sit together. They looked haggard, as if they had aged a few years in the few hours that Hikari and the twins had retreated to make dinner.

Kuma and Hyouko stood by the collection of chairs, standing above Aki, who looked dazed and confused as if he had only awoken a little while ago. Kuma turned slightly toward Midori as she shook Aki awake and Hikari noted the swollen bruise across his face. Izumi, Akina and Sora were facing the group so their backs were to Hikari.

Hikari stepped further into the room and Kaede followed behind her, the large pot of the vegetable blend held by one hand and the other handle supported by Matsu, who carried a pot of rice that wasn't near as large.

As the smell permeated the room, the other Haibane started to respond and looked over to the three Old Home Haibane. Smiling softly and having a few years lift from their expressions, they congregated around them, congratulating and thanking for the food. The bowls were passed around and Kaede served the vegetable blend while Matsu served out a portion of rice.

* * *

A great smell wafted around the room, filling each corner and tickling one's nose. It made his stomach protest loudly and he opened his eyes slowly, determined to investigate this reality.

Upon opening his eyes, he noticed the bulge of the pillow he was resting upon as well as the rough blanket laying across his back and brushing against an exposed hand. He moved slowly, bringing his hand to his eyes to rub at the grit that had formed there.

With his movement, he noticed the sudden lack in sound, as if someone had put stoppers in his ears. At the sudden lack of noise, he was able to notice that before, people had been talking in the room. He shifted and looked up, noticing a group of people standing by the entrance to the room that he was in. They were all staring at him.

He shifted slowly so that he could sit up. As he did, he felt some strain on his back and made a note to check it later; it felt like he had pulled several muscles.

Once he was sitting up in the bed, he looked back at the group only to find they hadn't moved from their places since he had first awoken. _They almost seem scared..._

As he watched them, something out of the corner of his eye moved slightly and when the others at the doorway broke eye contact with him, he looked over to see what had moved as well.

It was a boy, around his age he knew, and someone who looked vaguely familiar. His black hair hung limply down to his shoulders and his ebony black eyes looked around the room blearily before noticing him and the others in the room. He flushed slightly at having all of the occupant's eyes on him, which was almost indistinct due to the caramel color of his skin.

The other boy looked at him at last and his mouth opened suddenly and he seemed about to say something before his mouth clicked shut and a look of confusion fell over his face.

The group that stood in the middle of the room, frozen to the spot as they stared at the two boys in the bed, parted slowly and an old, stooped man came to the foreground. He paused briefly then went up to the boy with long, chestnut colored hair that was sitting up in bed.

Cautiously, he took a seat on the edge of the bed. The boy watched him and controlled his reaction, suppressing the need to tense and run away. However, he allowed himself to take the time to carefully remember the features about the man until his old voice broke the silence between them.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, his voice soft and kind. The boy found himself nodding without even really meaning to and a warm bowl of rice and uma-ni (1) found itself in his hands a few seconds later.

His stomach rumbled again and he didn't hesitate to begin to eat what lay before him. He was slightly aware of the old man asking the same question to the other boy that was also sitting up in his bed but was too focused on the food he was eating. It was so good...

"You eat like a pig..." The boy sitting near him said softly, causing him to stop in mid-bite. The boy with chestnut hair noted that the other people, who had started to act more relaxed, tensed back up. He turned to the darker youth and…stuck out his tongue.

A stifled laugh broke the tension in the room as the other youth bristled at the response to his barb, his hand grasping at his side for a non-existent item.

This taunting was familiar. He knew that he had done this before, which was a great relief as he was in a room he didn't recognize, with people he didn't know. As of now, the only thing that had been familiar before were the clothes he was wearing, which he could vaguely recall having worn in his dream.

The old man pulled a chair between the two beds of the youths that were awake since they were both in beds near each other. He looked at both of them, who were now looking at him.

"So, how about we talk about your dreams?" The man said, looking at them both steadily to gauge their reactions.

The darker youth narrowed his eyes, suspicion easily identified on his face. He had no reason to trust the man yet and the boy with chestnut hair seemed to understand that. In response, the boy with the long chestnut hair raised his hand eagerly and waved it around as if he was a little child.

"Me! Me! Me!" He exclaimed happily, a smile spreading across his face even though it didn't reach his eyes. He was hiding his own suspicion as well.

The other youth muttered an insult under his breath at the childish behavior but a small smile turned up the corners of his mouth and he paid attention to the story that followed.

* * *

I'm standing at the edge of a river...I'm breathing heavily, bending over to relieve the stitch in my side. I'm...wearing this robe, I think...and something or someone makes me turn around. I look back and I smile...I can feel the muscles in my face pulling upward in a huge grin and then...I fall backward. I hit the water and go under still smiling.

The water is cold at first, but it warms as I swim through it. I...enjoy it, I know that much. But that's it...

* * *

The old man sighed and put a hand under his chin as if he was contemplating what had just been said.

"Cold River, River, Water...Cold Water..." The old man mumbled under his breath, then looked up.

"Sokkenai." He said, his gaze locked on the boy with long auburn hair. "Your name will be Sokkenai, which is for the Cold Water in your dream."

This statement brought stunned silence to the two boys for a moment.

A second later, the second youth came to Sokkenai's rescue, exclaiming, "You can't just...rename him like that! He has a name! You should ask for it!"

The masked man slowly turned his attention from the newly named Sokkenai to make contact with him.

"Oh? What is his name then?" The man asked, his voice kind but to the point.

The boy worked his mouth for a moment, his color growing deeper in color as he became angry before forcing out, "I don't know! Ask him yourself rather than someone else!"

The man nodded and demurred quietly. "I thought you recognized him when you woke up..."

"I thought I did! So what?!" The boy interrupted quickly and hotly.

"I just thought if you knew him, you would be able to tell me his name." The old man continued, his voice gentle and placating in nature. He finally focused on the boy he had named, who looked at him with a confused expression on his face. "I'm sorry that I didn't ask you before. What is your name?"

Sokkenai worked on what to say for several minutes, remaining silent in the absence of his decision. Finally, he looked up at the gathering that included the old man. He snuck a glance to the other boy first then looked back and said, "I...don't know what my name is..."

Sokkenai looked back to the other boy in time to see his smug smile falter and fail.

The old man cleared his throat and got both of the boys' attention again.

"So...what would your name be then?" The old man asked the second boy softly.

* * *

(1) Uma-ni, a combination of words to pretty much mean a vegetable dish. It's been a while, so I actually forgot that I had to create the name myself…

Yes, all the pilots will be renamed, as they don't remember their past. However, please don't worry…this story is now taking a turn in the direction of them finding themselves once again.

Thank you again, Hellfire! I greatly appreciate it that you were able to beta this story on such short notice.

Thanks is also extended to fey and Hellfire for leaving a review. It greatly encourages me.**Fey**, is there any way that I should change the story so it is more obvious who I am talking about or do you like it being ambiguous?

I would also like to extend my thanks to Blindy, MadamShinigami (sorry for the late recognition; you both deserve it) and Lucidscreamer for adding me to your author alert list. I enjoy knowing that this story is good enough to warrant a notice of that sort.


	9. What's in a Name?

SinBound

"So...what would your name be then?" The old man asked the second boy softly.

"I..." The boy began softly, looking inward for an answer to the bizarre question. He couldn't think of anything.

It was strange; how could he have a sense of being without a name? And yet...if someone were to ask him what he thought about certain intellectual aspects, he was almost certain that he could answer.

Finally, he looked up at the old man, holding his chin up defiantly. "You must have done something so that we don't remember our names."

The old man was silent for some time, as if he couldn't believe what he was being accused of. Finally, his hands shifted around his staff and he replied with, "I have done nothing. This I swear to you."

"If we can't remember then we can't argue the point with you." The youth responded heatedly, his eyes alive at the sparking argument. He even forgot about the presence of others in the room.

He was reminded rather forcefully as a young, thirteen-year-old girl came up to the old man's side, her hand resting upon his shoulder. Her red hair almost matched the red that flushed the second boy's face but her green eyes were as hard as his black ones in her determination to prove her point.

"It is what happens to every Haibane. Not one of us," The girl took the time to sweep the room with one hand, encompassing the other three in the beds on the other side of the room, the group by the door and the two New Feathers that were facing off with the Old Man, "remembers what our names were before the cocoon dream. We have all taken on new names to help our current identity but to also tie us to our past; each New Feather, which is what you are, is named for their cocoon dream."

The first Haibane, who had been named Sokkenai a few minutes before, held up a hand. He had his eyes squeezed shut but opened them when she stopped talking. His eyes were confused and he asked, softly, "Haibane? New Feather? What does that mean?"

It brought a break in the tirade and the girl paused for a moment, looking at the two of them differently again. Slowly, she turned her back to them where a pair of small, gray wings rested on her back. The pair watched as her shoulders tensed and then as the wings stretched outward, pulled back and stretched out again.

Eyes wide, the darker youth crawled forward and lightly touched the wing. The girl smiled slightly, shivering at the touch. "That tickles..." she whispered. However, she then screamed loudly as the youth pulled unwittingly on the wing and ruffled the girl's feathers. She pulled back quickly and reached a hand out to the upset wing, smoothing her feathers back out. She glowered at the boy, who was looking back at Sokkenai in disbelief.

"They're real..." the darker youth commented and she looked to Sokkenai, who was just removing his hands from his ears.

"I kinda gathered that from her scream..." Sokkenai retorted, rubbing the ear that had been closest to the girl and had thus received the most abuse.

The girl sniffed haughtily, her nose turned up at what the two New Feathers were discussing and marched over to the group that still huddled at the door.

The two boys watched her retreat intently and realized those that she stood with all had small wings, their tips being visible to the pair from their beds. There were also several golden rings, which floated easily above their heads. They blinked a few times simultaneously before turning back to the old man at the same time.

"This is all real?" The darker boy asked, his voice derisive with a hint of fear laced in.

"Can I get a cool, floating thingy?" The other one, Sokkenai, asked at the same time, his finger jabbing out at the rings he had seen over each Haibane's head.

The old man looked from one to the other slowly, his eyes hidden behind his mask before he stood slowly.

"Everything you see is real and a halo shall be gifted to each of you upon your naming...and when the Haibane given the task has the halo mold."

The two kept their eyes riveted on the old man but out of the corner of their eye, they saw a shifting in the group of winged people by the door. A metal device was passed from one pair of hands to another until it landed in one young man's hands and he was shoved forward. He glared at the group but walked forward, his finger pressing a release on the steaming, circular mold he carried in his hands.

A golden light came from it as well as clouds of steam. Handling the device carefully, the young man placed a pair of rubberized tongs against the hot metal and lifted the circle free from its confine.

"Haibane Sokkenai," The boy began, bringing the halo over and gently placing it a few centimeters above his head. The position was awkward as his lower body was a few more inches away from the boy than necessary, making his weight unbalanced. After a hesitation no longer than a few seconds, he moved closer and settled easily onto his feet. "Haibane Sokkenai, this halo is given to you by a fellow Haibane. May it guide and protect you throughout your journey."

At the end of his proclamation, the young man removed the tongs from the halo and pulled back. The halo wavered slightly, tilting dangerously at one point to the far side. It finally stayed put after a few more minutes of wobbling and the boy smiled brightly.

The old voice that had been talking to them before spoke once again, pulling the two youths out of their thoughts.

"Can I ask you what your dream was about?" He asked gently, his hidden eyes boring into the darker youth's mind.

The boy looked back at the floating golden ring above the other boy's head before nodding curtly and agreeing.

* * *

I am alone...I think. I stand on a raised platform and perform exercises, something familiar that I think I have done many times before. I...don't know what they are called but my body knows them and follows the rhythm without any prompting. That is all I remember doing or seeing in my dream...I know I am at peace throughout the whole endeavor.

* * *

The old man watched the darker youth, his eyes never straying from the face and paying strict attention to the words that flowed haltingly from his mouth.

When the boy finished, the old communicator stood and extended his hand to the boy. Without truly thinking, he extended his hand and grabbed onto the withered hand. The old man pulled him up and he stood on wobbly legs but was quick to find his balance as he spread his legs to evenly distribute his weight.

"Please...show me these moves." The communicator asked and took a step back.

The young boy hesitated then placed one open faced palm outward and a closed fist next to it. He carefully pulled back his fist and thrust forward, moving the opposite foot forward. He twisted his fist's wrist and swung to the side, pulling his foot back and resting his fist against his side. Already he could feel the strain on his muscles as he fought to keep perfect control. He hesitated a moment before sitting lightly on the edge of his bed.

His body shook with fatigue but he clenched his hands to hide it and looked up at the communicator.

The old man was still watching him with one hand on the strange, short staff and the other resting at the small of his back. His gaze never wavered from the youth.

"Kenshin..." the old man said at last and dropped his gaze.

"Sword Heart?" Midori asked after a pause, her brow furrowed as she thought about and deciphered the new name.

The communicator nodded. "Yes. His moves are similar to those of a warrior in a book that I am reading from the local library."

The boy, however, paid no attention to this conversation as his heart ached at the name given to him.

_Why?_

"Do you not approve?" The old man asked, placing a hand on the boy's limp hair. Slowly, the boy shook his head.

"It's just..." he started to explain then stopped.

The old man looked around and noted the other three were still not awake. He looked to the boy with the long chestnut hair to see the boy looking ahead blankly.

"It is a lot to accept at once." The darker boy, Kenshin, looked up with glassy eyes that hid his emotions at this time. "I shall leave you with Hyouko and Midori. They are the most senior Haibane and can answer your questions. Unless we feel it is necessary, we shall leave you alone for now."

Washi carefully extracted his hand and patted the boy gently on his shoulder. Some Haibane accepted what was told to them easily; others, such as Kenshin, couldn't take it the same.

Washi stood at the doorway and shepherded the others. The twins and Hikari left first, followed closely by Akina and Sora. The other two boys left next and Izumi was the last to leave, looking over her shoulder at Midori and Hyouko, who didn't look like they knew what they were going to do.

Carefully, she closed the door to the room behind her.

* * *

Thanks again, Hellfire, for being my beta.

Also, I must extend thanks to Lucidscreamer and Hellfire for reviewing my last chapter. I do hope to keep giving you visual cues to help with the names but…wait a minute while I check…. I also want to thank Relic-Angel for adding this story as a favorite. I greatly appreciate it all!


	10. To Define Yourself

SinBound

The room was silent at first, with a soft snore coming from one of the unconscious New Feathers breaking the oppressiveness.

Hyouko looked to Midori, who glanced at the two boys then brought her gaze to rest on the floorboards. Hyouko, who still had the mold in his hands, held it closely to him as he pulled out a small bottle from his pocket. In it floated many golden flakes. He shook a few of these flakes into the mold, capped the bottle and put it back into his pocket before snapping the mold shut. He then walked stiffly to the fireplace at the far end of the room, away from the door and placed the mold near the fire to warm it up. He then turned and faced Midori, who stood at the doorway still. They stood stiffly apart and waited.

Sokkenai, the boy with the long, chestnut hair, put a hand to the back of his head and ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes were focused inward and he said nothing, but the movement seemed to disturb the darker youth, whose name was Kenshin.

"Why..." Kenshin asked, his hands fisting in the sheets that covered his legs. "Why are you able to handle this so well?"

Hyouko and Midori knew this was not directed at them so they kept quiet as Sokkenai ran his hands through his hair again and sighed heavily.

Slowly, he raised his head and looked at Kenshin quietly, his large, violet eyes showing no fear or uncertainty. "I think...that names are something people give you...or maybe something that you assign yourself. What you do in your life truly defines who you are."

The comment caught Kenshin off-guard and he paused, tears still hidden in his eyes as he thought about it. After several moments, he finally gave a slight smile, which was more of a twitching of the corners of his lips, and said, "That is uncommonly bright for you to say."

Sokkenai cocked his head to the side, giving Kenshin a strange look. Kenshin fidgeted under the purple gaze for a moment before Sokkenai spoke up.

"You speak as if you know me..." Sokkenai said, again making the darker youth, Kenshin, pause in his thoughts again.

"I think...at one time, I did." Kenshin said slowly, exploring the content of his words. "When I first saw you...I remember thinking that...it was the first time I had ever seen you with your hair down. I didn't say anything at the time...because another part of me...can't place where it is I could have met you before." Kenshin stopped and looked back at Sokkenai. "It sounds so strange to hear myself saying these things..."

Sokkenai looked away, turning his thoughts inward once again. "In a way, I know what you..."

His next few words were cut off as a form in one of the other beds stirred, a hand flying out from under the blankets quickly. The boy forced himself up, his chest heaving as if it was trying to regain oxygen it had lost. His blonde hair was damp with sweat and his aquamarine eyes were wide in fright.

The boy's fear was palpable and he looked at Kenshin and Sokkenai with his wide eyes. Before they could do anything, Midori swept forward from the edge of the room and approached the boy. She spoke softly and comforted him but never put herself within touching distance of him. It took a while, but eventually the boy calmed and his grip on the covers loosened.

"You looked like something had frightened you. Would you care to talk about it?" Midori asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed at last.

The boy shook his head, his blonde hair falling down to cover his eyes. "It was so cold..." He whispered and shifted so that his knees were pressed against his chest. He hugged himself and placed his head down upon his knees, making his blue eyes peer out from behind his hair as if he was a lost child.

This picture spoke to Midori and she hesitantly reached out and placed her hand upon his head. She felt the dampness of sweat in his hair as well as the slight trembling echoing upwards in his body.

Hyouko stepped forward quickly, a warning on his lips as Midori quickly enveloped the young boy in a hug. However, the boy didn't react as the others had before. Instead, he remained limp in her arms for a few seconds, tears marking their way down his cheeks before his hands moved slowly up and returned the hug.

"It's okay, don't worry. Everything will be all right." She crooned, determined to make this boy feel safe. She hadn't been able to do it when they had first hatched, but that didn't mean that she shouldn't attempt again and again until they were comfortable with her.

"You're so warm..." the boy whispered, his trembling easing as he moved closer to her. "My dream seemed so real...I thought for sure that everyone would be as cold as I was."

Softly, Midori cradled him and waited as the story of his dream came out on its own accord. Everyone else in the room was quiet and watched silently as the boy told his story, his tears drying sticky and salty upon his cheeks.

"I...thought I had been flying...I reached to touch the stars and felt so at home among them. But...there was a bright flash of light and the knowledge that one can't live among the stars. I couldn't breathe and it was so cold that I could feel it in my bones. The stars dimmed and I heard someone calling me...he promised to follow me but I begged him not to...I was still begging with him when...I woke up..." He shivered one last time and rested against Midori again, his eyes sliding closed in exhaustion.

Midori looked up at Hyouko and mouthed to him what she was thinking. He nodded in agreement and she went back to taking care of the emotionally ruined boy.

"It's okay, Hoshi. Everything will be all right. No one can hurt you now, Hoshi. We'll take care of you."

The boy hesitated then pulled away from her. "Ho...shi," he murmured, sounding out his new name. He looked confused at the name but eventually nodded, curling back up on the bed, "I like that name."

"Are you tired, Hoshi?" Midori asked, watching out of the corner of her eye as Hyouko put a new log on the fire. He also removed the halo mold from the fire's edge and broke it open with a hiss. The golden glow from it indicated the newest halo was completed and he walked over to Kenshin to bestow the halo upon the boy. Midori watched until she felt a slight tugging on her arm. She looked down at the blonde and was amazed at how young he seemed compared to the other two.

"What's going on?" He asked, his voice pitched lower as he watched the halo being pulled free and resting slightly over Kenshin's head. Kenshin watched it carefully as best he could, almost daring it to tip as Sokkenai's had. As if his look held great power, the halo did not tip at all but remained stationary, hanging as if by a straight wire over Kenshin's head.

"Wow, how did you do that?!" The blonde boy exclaimed, turning from the scene to Midori.

She smiled at him and flexed her wings slightly, making it obvious for the new boy to see them. His eyes grew wider and he looked to Hyouko, who was pouring more of the flakes from the bottle in his pocket into the mold and then he placed it back into the fire. His wings, although hidden under a red sweater, shifted with each movement.

"What...are you?" Hoshi asked, looking at the other two and not noticing any wings.

"Oh! I got this now! I want to explain it to him!" Sokkenai responded, putting his hand into the air excitedly like the Little Feathers did.

Midori and Hyouko looked to each other, then smiled and nodded their agreement. If they had bothered to look at Sokkenai, they may have seen the mischievous look in his eyes.

"So, apparently we are among things called 'hair brains' and we get those nifty wings and this floaty thing and we're named after our dreams and..." Sokkenai stopped as a pillow hit him in the face, ceasing his tirade that really didn't give any new information that one could not gather from just observing the room at large.

Sokkenai smiled and fluffed the pillow before looking over to the last two beds that had held the last two unconscious boys. They were both sitting up now, glaring slightly at the hyperactive Sokkenai.

"Somehow, I knew that would get under your skin enough to make you two stop playing possum." He grinned openly at them, which caused the last boy that had hatched, who had dark brown hair and cobalt blue eyes, to scowl and grasp his blanket into his fists. The other one, who was tall with shocking emerald eyes and long brown hair, smiled at Sokkenai slightly, but it was more in his eyes than portrayed on his actual face.

"And I should have known that you were just playing the joker." The boy with the emerald eyes and long brown hair responded quickly, his face suddenly distorting into confusion.

Sokkenai smiled at this change, his grin almost feral. "Now, you don't remember me, do you?"

The tall boy looked at him, confused as well as startled that he had known what the problem was.

"Well, now that you are awake, I'll be serious. These two, as well as several others that had been in here before, say that each of them and us are born into this world as we look. As we are born, we have a dream that we are named for, given halos that are supposed to 'guide you into the future', and eventually, I assume, we will have our own wings. Am I right?" Sokkenai looked back and smiled at Hyouko, who stood at the fireplace in silence. Slowly, the older boy nodded his head. Sokkenai nodded and looked back to the other two, saying, "So, tell us what your dreams were about."

Both boys fidgeted slightly, looking withdrawn as they looked to Midori and Hyouko and noted their wings as well as the halos that floated above two heads other than Midori and Hyouko's currently.

"I guess I can go first..." The taller boy said after several minutes, his voice a soft baritone. The eyes in the room fell upon him and he blushed slightly, a barely perceptible pink dusting across his cheeks. He adjusted his sitting position and began slowly.

"I am...balanced for a brief moment on something that isn't steady. It is a tiny thing and I sway to the side, which upsets my balance. I...drop from this height, but I am not scared. I know there is a safety awaiting me at the end. However, the wind is screaming in my ears and I look down to notice there is no safety as the ground rushes up to me. I put out my hands to protect myself and then...I wake up." He looked up from where his gaze had rested on his lap to see Hyouko and Midori glancing at each other.

"It's similar to that girl's name that you hang out with..." Midori said, her arm still wound around Hoshi's shoulder.

"He's a boy, though. There's a better name for him." Hyouko replied, smiling after a brief second as he thought.

There was silence for a moment then Midori asked, "Well, what is it?"

Hyouko smiled and bent down to retrieve the halo mold. As he did so, he continued to explain his reasoning. "Rakka means falling. Our New Feather here, however, used the word 'drop' to categorize the feeling in his dream. Therefore, we shall call him, 'Kakou', which means, 'to drop'." He turned around with the mold and approached Hoshi, who still sat wrapped in Midori's arms. He started to pull the mold apart, hesitated, then held it outwards toward Hoshi and Midori.

The young, blonde New Feather stared at the device, confused if he was supposed to put it on himself or not. However, the warm arms around him withdrew and Midori reached out and took the mold in her hands.

Gently, she took the rubberized tongs and removed the glowing halo from its confines, being careful to draw the steaming circle above his head without burning him.

"Haibane Hoshi, I give you this halo to ensure you guidance on your journey. May it protect you always." She pulled away again as the halo dipped to the left. She handed the mold back to Hyouko as it rested, then dipped to the right dangerously. By the time she turned around, it had settled on Hoshi's head and cast a warm glow against the top of his blonde head. He reached up a tentative hand, the glow from the object intriguing him.

"Don't touch it; you'll burn yourself." Midori said softly, turning back away to watch Hyouko shake more golden flakes into the mold and place it into the fire.

There was a pause and a sudden intake of breath. She turned back to see the blonde sucking on the tip of a finger. She smiled gently.

"You are like a curious Little Feather, testing the boundaries of what you think is right or wrong." She told him as she walked towards the final New Feather, who had drawn his legs up closer to his chest and obscured his face with his messy, chocolate brown hair.

Remembering what happened to Kuma, she approached loudly but gently, allowing him to raise his head and look at her before she sat on the edge of his bed. She waited patiently for a moment, but when Hyouko went to remove the halo mold from the fire and bestowed it upon Kakou, she grew impatient. When Hyouko, placed the mold back into the fire to warm up the final halo, she spoke.

"What was your dream about?" She asked, bending down to look into his eyes, which grew dark at the question. He looked down and away from her rather than answer, but Midori did not give up. With a charming smile, she moved closer and repeated her question.

"Please...leave me alone." The boy asked, his voice muffled as he refused to look up at her. Tentatively, she brushed back his bangs and looked into his eyes, which were dark…and empty.

She pulled back slightly. "You don't remember your cocoon dream...do you?" She asked, watching as the boy's eyes darkened rapidly and he pulled away from her.

_It's happening all over again._

_Reki!_

* * *

So who can guess what 'Hoshi' means? You get an imaginary cookie if you can…and a sneak peek at what I plan to do for the rest of the story at this point. The rules of engagement: don't use the internet!Also, thanks are extended to my beta, Hellfire. I greatly appreciate her input in preventing simple grammar or spelling errors from being uploaded. Also, thanks to Blindy and Hellfire for your review. I love reading them! 


	11. Supporting the Halo

SinBound

A couple hours had passed and Midori had been able to calm the blue eyed, chocolate haired New Feather that couldn't recall his cocoon dream. The room was now coated in silence, each person looking from one to the next, wondering what would happen next.

There was a gentle knock at the door and Hyouko leaped to answer it. He opened the door slightly, then hesitated a moment before opening the door all the way. In the doorframe stood a stooped old man that Sokkenai and Kenshin recognized.

Hyouko stepped aside and the old man stepped into the room alone, his cane hitting heavily on the floorboards.

His masked face looked around slowly, noting the five New Feathers sitting in bed and watching him carefully.

_They do not trust you..._

"I hear there is a Feather who does not recall his Dream..." Washi said softly, panning the room once again and finally stopping on the last Feather, who had dark brown hair but was hiding his face.

He approached softly and sat near the boy who had put up such a fight at his hatching. He had seemed so fierce at the time. Now, no one could guess that this lost boy was a confident warrior as well.

"Tell me, boy. What do you remember?" Washi asked softly, his voice attempting a soothing tone.

The boy shook his head harshly, saying in tight words, "I don't remember my dream at all!"

Washi sat back and waited a moment. After the boy was silent for some time, he attempted again. "I didn't ask about your dream...I just want to know if you remember anything. Anything at all."

The boy looked up at him, his eyes shining in confusion for a brief instant before the emotions were locked behind a solid steel wall and his eyes grew dark. He pulled his eyes away, refusing to look back. "I can't remember. There was something in my hand, but I don't know what it was at all." His voice was sharp and quick.

Washi leaned back and looked at the ceiling, going over what might possibly have been in the young man's hand during the dream. Without any real meaning, a name came to the forefront of his mind.

_Taihou..._

The meaning escaped him at the time. He would have to research it later. However, he was determined to give the boy a name, an identity before the wings came in. Maybe if he gave the boy a name now rather than waiting like he had for Reki, he could circumvent the issue that might arise.

"Your name shall be Taihou..." A shiver crawled down his back as the name was placed upon the boy. "Tai for short." Washi added hastily, the shiver stopping as he gave an alternative answer. He motioned quickly to Midori, who held the steaming mold, and retreated quickly.

"Haibane Taihou..." Midori began, going through the motions that happen as each Haibane is given their halo.

The golden ring was placed above his head and wobbled a little.

Midori focused inward, trying to come up with what the name just given to the dark-haired Haibane meant. She knew that the name could be divided and had another, hidden meaning, but if she had never heard of the word before, she did not know what that meaning would be.

The clattering of something metallic hitting the ground pulled her thoughts outward and she looked at the dark-haired boy. He, in turn, looked at her, confused, before letting his eyes drift to the left.

At the edge of the bed, on the floor, the halo sat, its glow reflecting slightly off the hard wood floor.

* * *

A thin strip of tape was pulled off a large roll. It was cut by a sharp tooth as the person put it to their mouth, and then it was stuck securely between the wire, which was wrapped around a golden halo, and the cardboard that had formed into a circular headband.

Hyouko pulled it away from Midori and held the stiff cardboard in his hands carefully. He pulled on it slightly then and, satisfied when it didn't give, he turned and plopped it unceremoniously on Taihou's head.

Tai turned his head side to side for a moment then pushed on it slightly with his hands, feeling it slip down to his ears. He looked out at the other four New Feathers and blushed, an extremely light dusting of pink on his cheeks that was hidden by his darker skin tone.

Hyouko nodded at last at the final appearance before him then turned to the bent communicator that stood by the door. "I will walk Washi back to the temple. I should be back before their wings break the surface. If not, call for Hikari. After all, she helped with the twins before."

Midori nodded, acknowledging what Hyouko had said even though her eyes never strayed from the items on Tai's bed that had created a device to hold up his halo. Hyouko hesitated a moment then nodded and headed out of the room with Washi leading the way.

As the door shut behind him, she turned away from Tai, and his blank acceptance of what was occurring, to the other four.

"So...do you have any more questions?" Midori asked, her smile almost too bright and cheerful.

Each boy shook their head, their eyes showing that they were still attempting to understand everything that had already come to pass. The boy behind her shifted slightly and his soft voice pierced the stillness of the room.

"Why didn't they need...this?" Tai asked, reaching up and flicking the wire that held at the side of the halo. Midori turned to look at the young boy, realizing that his face was turned down, as if to hide from an answer he didn't truly want to hear.

"Don't worry about it. It happens to many Haibane. I'm actually quite surprised that you ARE the only one. It would have been more accurate if three out the five of you had to have a support." Midori explained briskly, gathering the supplies that had created the simple device to hold the wayward halo in place and was now the main topic of conversation.

She looked up to see the boy still had his head bowed, his face contorted in thought as a finger and thumb plucked at a stray thread on the blanket.

"Is it because...I can't remember my dream?" Tai asked, his face remaining in that confused look as he examined the contours and waves of his blanket.

Midori watched the boy for a second, unsure how to respond to his silent observation.

It was true that the only people she knew to ever have lost their halo as he had suffered during their stay in Guri, but that didn't necessarily incriminate this boy. However, she didn't remember anyone else who had lost his or her halo and not suffered to prove his thought process wrong.

"...Let me see your back." She said instead, depositing the items on the table at the entrance to the room. He looked at her, his eyes steely but hinting at a sense of being lost.

Gently, she had him turn away from her and her fingers ghosted over his back, untying the few strings that held the white shift up and around him.

Leaving the bottom-most one tied, she allowed the top of the shift to fall away so she could view the bruised shoulder blades. She prodded the very edges of it lightly, noting the gentle swelling in the middle of each bruise. His wings were almost ready, but still had several hours before breaking the skin. If he was this far along, however, at being the last one to hatch from his cocoon...

Midori stood, leaving the back of his shift open as she went quickly to Sokkenai, the pretty, long-haired one out of the quintuplets.

"Show me your back." She demanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. Still, he opened his mouth to protest.

Midori reached out quickly to turn him on her own without his help. She moved quickly...but he was faster.

His hand struck out, grabbing her bandaged wrist, which was actually covered by a long sleeve, grinding the small wrist bones together instantly.

She gasped in pain and surprise, her face quickly changing from determination to pain as she looked up at him, noting the blank look in his face. He had reacted on instinct...

Life flooded back into his eyes suddenly and he let go of her wrist, his fingers springing open and pulling his hand away with a gasp. She retracted her wrist quickly, holding it back against her chest to calm the sharp ache that permeated her senses.

"Midori...I'm so sorry! I don't know why I did that!" Sokkenai exclaimed, reaching out hesitantly toward her. She flinched, but did not pull away as Sokkenai did not touch her. He looked sad, but his face still hid a lot of emotion...the emotion he did show came from his eyes.

She watched his eyes as they morphed from sadness, to confusion and then to pain, which was quickly masked. She noted his hand twitched, as if to stop the pain or reach out to it. She felt her body shake in fear, wanting to reach out to him and help but afraid of being hurt again.

"Please...let me see your back." She requested, her voice soft in fear. His eyes clenched shut and she could only imagine what he was feeling as the growing of her own wings was lost in a hazy memory.

He looked at her after the second wave passed and made a decision, it seemed, as he turned his back on her.

She gasped, seeing two identical bulges pushing against the cloth and she jumped forward the two paces that separated her from his bed.

Deftly, she pulled the strings on the shift apart. The shift parted and slid down his pale shoulders, revealing large bruises with a sharp point in the middle. As she watched, the right bruise had something shift underneath the skin and then a dull, white point stopped in the center. She watched as the back muscles tensed suddenly and the skin broke, a trail of blood marking its way down his back.

_It's begun..._

"Hikari!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, bending closer to the boy and pushing his bangs back from his forehead.

His face wasn't flushed at all, but it radiated warmth from the fever that always accompanied the wing growth.

"Lay down." She told him, pushing lightly at his shoulder with her good hand. He obeyed and she ran to the table at the entrance, which still held the many supplies for the support for Tai's halo.

She grabbed many long, thin strips of cardboard and organized it into a small stack even as she ran back to Sokkenai's side. "Bite this." She told him, pushing it against his upper lip. He cracked an eye at her then opened his mouth and clamped down on the cardboard as it was pushed into his mouth.

A moment later, the wings bulged and pushed outward, each feather still clinging together. As it came free of the skin holding it back, the wings and feathers stretched outward and flung blood and other bodily fluids in an attempt to clean themselves.

The boy groaned softly and went limp on the bed, making three of the New Feathers start forward to help their brother and the blonde one, Hoshi, to gasp in pain as he grabbed at his chest.

Time began to crawl forward slowly as Kenshin and Tai hesitated and then attempted to get out of bed to help the unconscious Sokkenai. Kakou, on the other hand, turned to Hoshi and supported the young blonde, who was still grabbing at his chest.

Midori pulled in a quick breath that seemed to last forever as the two darker boys rushed at her, their faces blank and scary. She let it out and opened her mouth in a scream, her mouth and voice working together to utter a single plea.

"Hikari!"

* * *

Thanks to Hellfire for being my beta, once again!

Also, thanks to Hellfire, Gami1x2, and Blindy for reviewing my story! I greatly appreciate your input! Also, thanks to Solaris li Amaria for adding this story to your author alert…that means a lot to me as well!!

P.S. Blindy got Hoshi's name correct in one. It means 'star', for he was floating among the stars.


	12. Hint of a Memory

SinBound

Hyouko and Washi had barely reached the outer gate of Abandoned Factory when they heard the scream. They both paused and looked back to the building as the second scream split through the night sounds.

_"Hikari!"_

Hyouko looked to the old man at his side, torn for an instant between helping his life-long friend, Midori...and staying at his mentor, Washi's side.

As Hyouko's internal battle waged on, he vaguely heard Washi sigh and watched as the old man leaned in close to him.

"You shouldn't even be hesitating, Hyouko." Washi told the young Haibane. He then waved his staff in the direction of Abandoned Factory. "Go help her!"

Hyouko blinked once...twice...then grinned and ran back to the decrepit building, leaving Washi to follow in his wake.

"Youth..." Washi muttered as he hauled one old foot up the first step. "What would they ever do without a forceful nudge in the right direction?"

* * *

Hyouko entered the building at a run, barely taking the time to remove his shoes at the entrance. It didn't take long before he made it to up to the room on the second floor that housed the five New Feathers. 

As he approached the room, he watched the door swing inward and the blonde Haibane, Izumi, emerge carefully, one arm wrapped around an elegant, shallow bowl.

Without seeing him, she turned to head to the opposite end of the hallway where a strange contraption of half-finished indoor plumbing could serve a purpose to the Haibane at Abandoned Factory.

"Izumi..." Hyouko said breathlessly, being both winded and nervous. Izumi turned suddenly, allowing the liquid contents of the bowl to slop up and out of the bowl as she was startled by hearing his voice.

The liquid fell and splashed across the floor, marking her white tennis shoes and blue jeans with their red color.

Hyouko looked at the red stain for a second before turning to the door.

"It started...didn't it?" He asked as the door swung inward. Izumi didn't have a chance to respond as he disappeared inside.

As the door opened, Hyouko first saw Midori, who was standing by the bedside of the long-haired Sokkenai while the other four New Feathers bombarded her with questions. With senses and reflexes like cats, however, all four stopped and turned to Hyouko when they heard the door open. Midori, meanwhile, allowed a look of gratitude to pass over her face briefly at Hyouko's arrival.

"What happened to him?" The serious Taihou asked in a cold voice. Hyouko gathered that the New Feather was talking about Sokkenai, but decided to play dumb and spare them some time.

"Who are you…" Hyouko started, but was never able to finish as he suddenly felt hands against his shirt and his head landed solidly into the wall. The world spun disconcertingly and Hyouko closed his eyes to hold his stomach contents in his stomach, where they belonged.

"Don't fuck with us." Taihou hissed, his voice tickling Hyouko's ear. "Tell me what is going on, _now_." There was a momentary pause and Taihou slowly loosened his grip on Hyouko's sweater. Swallowing heavily, Hyouko slowly opened his eyes to see Taihou still standing directly in front of him. He moved his head slightly to the right and watched the room tip dangerously in the opposite direction before he shifted his whole body to the right instead. Taihou followed closely behind, but allowed Hyouko to view the room once again.

Hyouko swallowed again as he first looked to Hoshi and Kakou, the two New Feathers that had been born simultaneously and who now sat together on a bed close to Sokkenai. Kakou had a hand laid protectively on Hoshi's shoulder while Hoshi held one hand at chest level and the other crossed over his chest to lie on top of Kakou's hand.

Hyouko shifted slightly again and looked at Kenshin, who was standing closest to Sokkenai's bedside and had his mouth set in grim determination. Taihou took a step closer to Hyouko's side, reminding him of the New Feather's concern. Hyouko slowly opened his mouth to explain the life of a Haibane to the New Feathers.

"You have come into this world suddenly by what we call cocoons. You have no memory of your past or where you are from, as is customary for any Haibane. Similarly, no one from this town will know or recognize you. You are, in a sense, alone to live the trials and tribulations that exist for a Haibane. But, at the same time, you will have every other Haibane that can stand at your side.

"Among your challenges that you will face is the Naming, which you have already overcome. The next challenge is known as the Growing, where your wings, like the other Haibanes'," and at this, Hyouko shifted his small wings under his sweater for emphasis before continuing, "will force their way through by the end of the night. It is customary to feel a slight pulling, run a mild fever, and to pass out during the Growing, but you will be fine and a full-fledged Haibane by the next morning." Hyouko stopped and slanted his eyes to Taihou, who still stood at his side. Even though the dark haired, blue-eyed New Feather seemed lost in thought, he could not resist the urge to pass one last snipe with the boy. "Is that good enough for you?"

Taihou glanced at him quickly, his eyes cold before he closed both eyes as if he was ignoring Hyouko. However, a moment later, the New Feather muttered a gruff apology and levered himself away.

As Taihou walked stiffly back to Sokkenai's side, Hoshi's voice came out in a slight tremble and asked, "Are there more challenges than these?"

Hyouko felt his lips grow tight as he looked to Midori. Yes, there were more challenges…but was he even ready to face them?

After a moment of indecision, he raised his face back to the five New Feathers with determination. "Yes, there are more challenges. The next stage in every Haibane life is called the Attachment, where you become accustomed to the life a Haibane leads. This means you create bonds with those around you, hold a job, explore the land…set an example for all Good Haibane to follow."

Hyouko paused suddenly as he thought about the Day of Flight that all Haibane inevitably approached. He looked to each New Feather in turn and wondered if the knowledge would implicate the bonds they formed and the life they led. After all, he hadn't known about the meaning behind the day until five years back, when his senpai (1), Keiko, had taken her Day of Flight. So many had followed since that day…

_Kuramori…_

_Kuu…_

_Reki…_

_Nemu…_

_The Little Feathers, such as Dai, Shouta, and Hana…_

"Hyouko? Are you okay?" A gentle voice pulled him from his thoughts as well as a hand ghosting across his cheek. He looked up and into Midori's green eyes. "Why are you crying?"

He caught her hand and held it close, suddenly afraid that she would disappear on him. He took several deep breaths before being able to talk once again. "There are more stages, but they are many and diverse." He watched as Taihou scrutinized him and knew the New Feather was going to ask him what these stages entailed. Narrowing his own eyes, he responded in kind by saying, "I will not divulge all of our secrets. I had to research our final stages when no one else knew and so will you. It is the best way for a Haibane to grow."

Hoshi and Kakou nodded and looked back to Sokkenai, who had not moved from the moment he had passed out from the pain. Hyouko noticed suddenly that Sokkenai still had blood on his wings and he pulled away to look at Midori. "What?" She asked when she realized that Hyouko was watching her.

"Sokkenai's wings…they're…" Hyouko started before Midori interrupted him.

"Shush…it's okay. I was cleaning them the whole time you were talking. The wing you can't see right now is almost clean, so don't worry." Midori comforted him, holding his face gently in her hands.

"But…his wings…are they…?" Hyouko attempted to say before Midori smiled and leaned forward to place her forehead against his chest.

"They are a perfect ash-gray color. He is a blessed Haibane." Hyouko allowed any pent up air escape from his lungs at this point, grateful for this small blessing.

It didn't last long, however, as Kenshin suddenly cried out in pain and dropped to his knees. Hyouko and Midori pulled apart and, acting quickly, reached the New Feather's side before anyone else.

As Midori touched his back, they both noticed the twin spots of blood showing through on the back of Kenshin's shift.

"Don't act so strong! Idiot!" Midori yelled as Hyouko swept the New Feather into his arms and deposited him into a nearby bed, making sure he landed on his stomach. Midori ran forward and deftly untied the three strings holding the shift up. She pulled the fabric apart just as the wings finished breaking the surface.

Blood ran down his caramel-colored back as the clumped feathers pulled free from the baseball-sized bruises that existed on his shoulder blades.

Gasping in pain, Kenshin fought for consciousness as sweat ran into his eyes. He closed his eyes to blink out the sweat only to have a cold compress gently wipe the salty-sticky mess away for him. Slowly, he cracked open an eye so he could thank his rescuer.

Sitting near him was a beautiful, young maiden, her ebony black hair pulled back into twin ponytails that rested delicately over each shoulder. Long, free-flowing bangs still swept in front of her eyes, throwing her darker eyes into an even darker contrast. Her eyes, which normally blazed defiance, softened as she looked upon him.

"Have you truly forgotten the meaning of bravery, my dragon?" The maiden said, her voice soft as cold fingers trailed over his warm forehead. He blinked at her, unsure of how to respond. She smiled softly, and continued to explain what she meant. "Bravery also comes in the form of being able to admit when you need help. Don't forget there will always be someone to stand at your side as long as you stand by them."

Her figure melted and morphed until it was Midori who was standing next to him, the water from the compress streaming down the side of his face and dripping onto the pillow upon which he was resting.

"It's okay. Go back to sleep." Midori whispered and Kenshin felt his eyelids weigh down with exhaustion. As he fell face-first into the blackness, he felt his lips stir in a forgotten name that was just outside of his memory.

Nataku…

* * *

1) Someone who is considered to be a mentor or leader for a younger person to follow 

Thanks so much to Hellfire for checking over and making corrections on this chapter as well. I'm sure it helped a few people make sense of my ramblings.

Also, thanks to Blindy and Hellfire for leaving a review of the story!


	13. Shed a Tear

SinBound

Shortly after Kenshin's wings began to come through, Hoshi felt the stirrings of a pull on his back. When it was confirmed that his wings were growing as well, he suggested everyone return to their beds, to, at the very least, make it easier on those caring for them.

Kakou agreed reluctantly but only let go of the blonde New Feather after his own wings began to grow in.

Taihou, who had been the last to hatch and the last to awaken, watched as everyone was pronounced a blessed Haibane, each with their own perfectly ash-gray wings. He watched as a Haibane-senpai was assigned to clean his brothers' wings of the blood and grease that had come with the birth of the wings. He also watched the treatment of the lacerations at the base of each wing while he waited for his own transformation.

As more time passed between Kakou's wing growth and his own, he began to worry.

"Why?" He asked softly and watched as Izumi, who was waiting for his wings to grow, looked up from a book she was reading. "Why are my wings not growing?"

Izumi hummed, the sound collecting and forming in the back of her throat as she placed the book in her lap. She slanted an eye to the boy that could not remember most of his dream and saw how defeated he appeared.

"You know," Izumi said, leaning forward as if to share a secret. "My wings didn't grow in for a full three days after my Hatching. Just because your friends' wings are growing after a few hours of their Hatching doesn't mean that yours won't grow. It just means that you are taking your own time. Relax, and it will come naturally." She smiled to put him at ease and, a second later, he allowed a tiny smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.

Taking her advice, he laid down on his stomach to relax and let things occur as they would. He shortly fell asleep and, while he was sleeping, never noticed the growth of his wings as they split the skin.

The humming of a slightly familiar song was what awoke Hoshi in what he assumed was early morning. The gray, dawn light was softly drifting through the window on the other side of the room.

_I never even noticed a window last night._ Hoshi thought as he attempted to sit up and stretch the sore muscles that persisted in aching in the middle of his back. Someone made a squeaking sound behind him and the muscles in his back tensed again as something was pulled. He heard something flap strangely and a moment later, a few delicate, gray feathers floated down past his nose.

"Don't stress your wings so soon! You'll break the scabs open." A girl's voice explained and he felt a sensation similar to his hair being pulled. Looking over his shoulder carefully, he was able to make out a girl with short dark hair cropped close to her head. Her bright blue eyes were focused on his back, where, now that he paid attention, he could see two small wings covered in an ash-gray color.

"What…are these…mine?" Hoshi asked, attempting to sit up more so he could see them better. The girl huffed loudly at the interruption, blowing her short bangs out of her eyes.

"I'm never going to be able to get them fully clean if you keep pulling them out of my hands like that!" The girl complained, sitting back in her chair and folding her arms. From one hand dangled what looked like a comb, but the bristles were spaced further apart than he recalled them having been ever before.

Hoshi hesitated then took the distraction to sit up on the edge of the bed. Once seated, he looked over his right shoulder and was able to get a better view of the wings that had grown in over night. However, the wings he remembered seeing on Sokkenai and Kenshin had been thickly coated with blood. His didn't even have a remnant of the blood or look like it had ever had blood.

Hesitantly, he reached out and lightly touched his right wing with a finger and smiled briefly at the softness. He touched the wing again with both fingers and smiled brightly.

"So, they're real?" Hoshi asked hesitantly, unable to wipe the grin off his face. The girl that had been next to his bed chuckled softly as she walked around to face him. She put her hands on her knees and knelt slightly so she could look him in the eye, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You think we would have made all of this up on our own?" She asked softly, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth. However, being fascinated with his own wings, Hoshi only heard the question.

"Oh, no. I just…can't believe that I have these wings. It seems…" Hoshi stopped as he suddenly realized that she was still grinning. Blushing, he lowered his face to hide his own embarrassment.

"Don't worry." She said softly, forcing his head up by pushing gently against his chin with a finger. He looked up into her grinning features once again as she continued, saying, "I used to think the same way as you. Almost every New Feather does."

They both paused in thought until Hoshi suddenly looked up and at the girl standing in front of him once again. He narrowed his eyes before saying, "I didn't see you last night…did I?"

The girl pulled back and suddenly smiled before she started laughing. She covered her mouth as she laughed softly before finally stopping and looking back at his face with sparkling eyes. "No. I didn't get to meet you last night, but I know who you are. I'm guessing you want a name to put with my face, don't you?"

She thrust her hand out suddenly and waited until Hoshi grasped it firmly in his own hand. Slowly, she pushed his hand up and down in a semi-awkward handshake. "Nice to meet you, Hoshi. My name is Sora, which means sky for the dream of flying I had while in my cocoon."

"Uh…nice to meet you?" Hoshi stuttered sheepishly, not sure what else he should say. However, what he said must have been right because she smiled and finally let go of his hand.

She looked back to his wings for a moment. "Now, come on. Let me finish combing your feathers so we can try and dig something out of the closet for you and your brothers to wear."

"Aren't they already up?" Hoshi asked, looking around to find three of the other beds occupied. Digging through his memory, he was soon able to come up with a name. "But where is Taihou?"

He watched as Sora's eyes darkened rapidly before she could force a smile for him.

"He did get up early. Washi, the Communicator, wanted to see him early this morning at Myou Jou Jiin, the temple where he lives. So Hyouko took him."

Hoshi wanted to ask questions, but Sora tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to turn around.

"Come on, we'll clean the wings now and you can see Taihou later. It's normal for each New Feather to see the Communicator before you've been in Guri for more than a week."

"Ah." Hoshi was able to say before Sora continued in her ceaseless tirade about other items of interest in this new world.

"Come on. Not much further now." Hyouko's voice drifted to him as he stared at the sheer cliff face he was hugging. Narrowing his eyes, he looked down to the rushing river that was more than thirty meters below.

_This is nothing._ Taihou thought as he put another foot forward on the five-centimeter wide ledge. A rock tumbled out from beneath his left foot, forcing him to move forward faster to avoid an untimely drop into the raging current below.

Within a few seconds, Taihou was able to place both feet firmly on ground wide enough to support him and take a deep breath.

"Ready for the next part?" Hyouko asked, smiling softly at the youngest New Feather.

His eyes were warm and gentle and he didn't stare at Taihou's wings like everyone else at Abandoned Factory had early this morning…minus his brothers, of course, who had slept on obliviously.

"Hey," Hyouko's voice pulled gently at Taihou's thoughts, bringing him out of his musing. "We just need to cross the bridge before we arrive at the temple. That's where Washi is waiting for us." Hyouko hesitated then clapped the New Feather on the shoulder gently, attempting to encourage him forward.

Hyouko turned away, his heart aching in both emotional and physical pain as he recalled two other Haibane that had been afflicted with the curse that Taihou now bore. One of his old friends, Reki, had once convinced him to escape over the great stone wall that encompassed the island they lived on in an attempt to recover their lost memories. That event had nearly caused him to die…

"Hyouko…" The voice was so soft he almost didn't hear it as he wandered through his memories of the many years he had spent in Guri. Looking over his shoulder at the lost New Feather, he sighed as he noticed the boy had paused, his head bowed in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Hyouko asked, bending down to look down into the New Feather's Prussian blue eyes.

Taihou looked at him, deep sadness hiding in his eyes. But, just like those before Taihou, he did not shed a tear.

"Why?" Taihou asked, his voice thick as his new wings shuddered on his back. The movement caused Hyouko to look over Taihou's shoulder and see the mostly gray wings, which were so similar to his brothers. However, at the tips of each feather ran a line of pure black, a stain that Taihou had been born with. "Why am I different?"

Not knowing what else to do, Hyouko carefully pulled Taihou forward and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, comforting him with his warmth and shielding him from everyone that wouldn't understand his situation.

Thanks to Hellfire for being my beta again! And thanks to HeavenSentHellBroken for adding this story to your alert list. That means as much as leaving a review.

Otherwise, I'll apologize for the late update. My computer officially died as of Friday night (12/7/2007). It has lived a good life of 5 years, but left me without a way to upload the next story for my faithful readers. I am now at home and able to update. I hope you can all forgive me.


	14. To Never Fly

SinBound

It had taken a few minutes, but eventually Taihou had pulled away on his own accord from the shelter Hyouko had provided. The elder Haibane waited a moment before carrying on, leading Taihou to the temple as if nothing had ever held them up.

When they reached the temple grounds, a singular Musei was awaiting them. The servant bowed to Hyouko and held out his hands, where small clasps with tiny bells attached, rested. It didn't take long for the Musei to fit the bells to Hyouko's wings and one on each wrist before he moved on to Taihou.

Without bowing to the New Feather, the Musei roughly attached the bells in quick movements, pulling his fingers away quickly from the stained wings. He attached the bells to Taihou's wrists last, taking the time to glance up at this New Feather, even though his face was hidden behind a parchment sheet.

He tied the last thread tight, causing Taihou to wince slightly as the string cut into his wrist. Then the Musei bowed once again to Hyouko, turned, and walked away.

"Well, are you ready?" Hyouko asked, his voice chipper.

He watched as the New Feather loosened the thread tying the bell to his wrist subtly, trying to keep his mind off the fact. This was the first time he had ever accompanied a sin-bound to the temple…he wondered if the Musei treated each new sin-bound as roughly. And, if that was the case, why were they so rude?

Shaking his head, he decided to comment on something with a lighter tone. Looking around the enclosed space, he felt the bells on his wrist jingle and it reminded him that Taihou did not know the reason for the bells.

"There are a few things you should know about talking with Washi. What you experienced at the Factory was a fluke. Normally, he does the talking and you don't talk to him." Hyouko watched as Taihou continued to loosen the strands on the bell. His first wrist was free, but a thin, red line had replaced the constricting band.

"Why are we not allowed to talk to him?" Taihou asked softly but firmly, pulling the last thread loose and tying it himself so it wouldn't rub his skin raw.

"Washi has the power to talk to the Toga, people who live outside of this city and bring us food and water to continue our existence. The Toga do not talk except through a series of hand movements when they enter this town. I think it is a measure to protect us and keep us pure. Therefore, it's considered a violation of that respect if we talk to Washi." Hyouko explained quickly. He then continued, lifting his left wing up and down so that the attached bell jingled softly. "If you do that, it means no. To raise the other wing means yes and you drop both hands together to greet someone while in the temple. Got it?"

Taihou pursed his lips together and stretched the muscles in his right shoulder. He felt something briefly brush his back as the bells that he knew were on his right wing jingled carefully.

Looking back at Hyouko, he realized the elder Haibane was smiling. "Good job! You'll be a natural Haibane in no time!"

Taihou lowered his face again but couldn't help a small smile from tugging at the corners of his lips for the praise he had received.

The pair continued on into the deeper depths of the temple, undisturbed by any more Musei. They walked past the wall of the tower and Taihou blinked, confused at first by the bright light that streamed in from the open ceiling. Frowning he looked up at the opening.

_That doesn't make any logical sense._ He thought to himself as Hyouko guided him forward. _It wouldn't give much shelter during storms._

The sound of Hyouko's wrist bells jingling brought Taihou back to the present and he looked forward to see the old man from last night standing thirty feet away from them. The man's eyes, although unseen from behind his mask, seemed to burn across the distance, judging him, accusing him…

Hyouko nudged the New Feather at his side then dropped his hands again in greeting, making sure that Taihou realized what was expected of him. The New Feather was only a second behind Hyouko on the second greeting, the echo of the bells bouncing back from the wall of the tower slightly.

Washi approached slowly, his staff seeming to guide the man as he placed it before him at each step. "Why have you come here?" He asked, his voice louder than the night before.

Taihou winced and pulled back slightly, unsure if he was supposed to answer the question or not.

Washi, however, did not change his gaze or stance and continued by answering his own question. "One of you is of the five New Feathers born to Abandoned Factory, am I correct?"

Hyouko pushed his elbow gently but firmly against Taihou again and the boy raised and dropped his right wing in response, the bell jingling softly compared to Washi's voice.

The Communicator continued, turning minutely to face Hyouko. His voice seemed less intimidating as he spoke to the older Haibane. "And you came here to guide this New Feather. Am I correct?" Hyouko raised and dropped his right wing neatly, allowing Washi to continue quickly. "Am I also correct in realizing the one New Feather brought before me has been deemed a Black Seal?"

Hyouko hesitated, looking over his shoulder at the New Feather. Was it really fair to make such a difference apparent between Haibane, who were all the same in the end?

Taihou's right wing moved up and down, confirming Washi's suspicions before Hyouko could do anything. The room fell silent with the admission as Washi turned his focus on the New Feather.

"Well, New Feather. Tell me of your dream once again." Washi said, extending one hand and placing it on Taihou's head softly, the chocolate-brown locks rustling softly under his fatherly touch. "I give you permission to speak."

Taihou hesitated as he remembered Hyouko's instructions and wondered if it really was okay to talk in Washi's presence. Hyouko smiled for him and so Taihou stepped forward to speak.

"I…don't remember anything of my dream…" Taihou said softly, words failing him to describe what had happened.

"Hmm…" Washi responded, his tone softening. "I recall you mentioning that you were holding something in your hand. Does that help at all?"

Taihou hesitated, unsure of what else he felt comfortable talking about. However, the Communicator seemed unwilling to allow Taihou to escape so easily without any more answers.

"I…it is a cold night, in my dream. I…know I'm not dressed appropriately. There is…a massive stone in front of me. Something is written on its surface. I can't read it though…or I don't want to know what it says. There is a…tree off to my right. It's bare, its leaves having been blown off in the last gust of wind. My hand…clenches on something in my hand, but I can't look at it. I don't remember…"

As he spoke, each image flashed through his mind with startling clarity to the point where he was almost positive he was reliving the dream again. He shivered and pulled his arms around his chest in an attempt to protect himself. As he did so, his back curved and his wings were displayed as they stretched to their full span.

Washi removed his hand from the New Feather's bowed head and reached forward, grabbing one soft feather in his hand. With a short twist, the feather came out, causing Taihou to jerk slightly at the minor discomfort. Taihou looked up at the Communicator and saw the splotchy gray and black feather being twirled between his two fingers. It didn't take long before Taihou bowed his head again, unable to watch the one thing that marked him as different.

Washi twirled the feather from the base then let go of the feather, watching it spin harmlessly to the ground, where the black and gray melded with the pebbles that scattered his path. It was too bad…he had hoped that by Naming this New Feather before the wings had Grown, he would be able to prevent such a fate. It seemed to not make any difference.

"There is no doubt in my mind that you are a Black Seal." Washi said, his voice deep and grave. He looked to the boy that seemed to be no older than fifteen years old and shook his head. _Such a waste._

Turning away from Taihou, he expected the group to leave silently. However, he was slightly shocked to hear the young boy speak up, asking softly, "But…what is a Black Seal, exactly?"

Washi turned back and noted that Hyouko had his hand curled around the New Feather's shoulder, as if he had attempted to make Taihou leave before the question had fallen out. Now that it was before them, even Hyouko hesitated, wanting an answer to one of the oldest questions. Washi didn't turn back to face them as he gave his answer.

"You have done something in your past, those memories that you have forgotten, that your soul still holds as unforgivable. Therefore, your stain spreads over and into this new life and your wings become black." Washi paused momentarily and then continued with the bad news. "You will never fly over the wall as long as your wings and heart are stained as such. You will be left behind, first losing your wings and halo before withering away as a normal human. For those that are born with sin, always get lost in the circle of it."

Each word tore at Washi, opening old wounds that he had thought had sealed. Had it really been so long ago since the last Communicator had whispered those same words to him?

_It has been so lonely…_

* * *

Thank you, Hellfire, for catching my errors once again. If anyone sees anything that either of us missed, please let me know and I can fix it. Constructive criticism is something I actually really like to read from my readers.

Also, thanks so much to HeavenSentHellBroken and Hellfire for a review. I greatly appreciate it!


	15. A Grain of Hope

SinBound 

Hyouko and Taihou made their way out of the temple together, pausing long enough for the Musei to remove Hyouko's bells. Taihou, on the other hand, ducked away from the temple helpers, glaring as he pulled the bells off on his own. He dropped them into the first open hand he came to and continued on his trek away from the temple.

"Tai!" Hyouko called after the boy, running to catch up to the New Feather. "Tai, wait up!"

The boy's pace slowed but he still kept heading toward the bridge, his face set in determination.

"Tai. Relax. Washi didn't mean everything he said back there." Hyouko said, his breath coming in irregular puffs as he caught up to the black and grey winged Haibane.

At his words, Taihou rounded on his mentor and the older man he had started to respect. His anger flared and his eyes danced vividly with pain even though his face stayed as still as stone. The fire in his eyes brought Hyouko up short in his trek.

"How do you know what that old man said wasn't intentional?" Taihou asked, his voice tight with emotion, but Hyouko didn't seem to notice. "It doesn't take a genius to guess that Washi has all the answers. All the Haibane look up to him; trust him! What makes you so different?!"

Hyouko pulled back as the last sentence left Taihou's mouth as if he had just walked into a wall. He took the time to honestly look at the New Feather that stood before him, but he couldn't see where all this anger was coming from.

Pausing and lowering his head, Hyouko fiddled with his thumbs, not sure what he should say at this point. The words he had thought of saying deserted him. But Taihou was still standing before him, waiting for an answer.

Pulling his fingers apart and throwing his hands to his side on a sudden sigh, Hyouko leaned against the side of the cliff face. He threw his head back, looking up at the pre-noon sky.

_It's still this early?_

With that sudden thought interrupting his thought process, Hyouko paused. And just as suddenly, the answer came to him.

"You know…I was born into this world about ten years ago. Midori was my first friend and Keiko was our mentor, the Haibane that told us everything." Hyouko explained, looking up at the blue sky and the few clouds that marred its perfect surface.

"What does this have to do with me?" Taihou asked, unable to stay silent while this pointless story dragged on. He bit down on the words as they came out, sure that he wouldn't normally have said such a thing to someone he hardly knew.

Hyouko smiled slightly, looking to the New Feather for a moment before looking back to the blue sky. "Listen, and I will tell you."

Taihou took a deep breath and leaned against the cliff once again, taking the time to look up at the bright sky in hopes it could give him the answers he desired. For instance, why was he the only one out of five that was to have this black stain?

"I was born in the high summer of this world and grew to love t-shirts, showing off my wings to the world. I was really happy and thought every Haibane was happy when they came to this world." Hyouko paused as Taihou took the time to assert his doubt and he couldn't help smirking at his own naïve thought. Sighing heavily, he continued. "And then I met Reki. She was a girl from Old Home and she had black stained wings…just like you."

To add emphasis to his point, Hyouko looked Taihou in the eye as he said the last three words of that sentence. He knew he had the New Feather's attention, even though the boy quickly shifted his focus to the valley that stretched out below them.

The silence stretched between them for a few seconds, which seemed more like minutes before Taihou made any move. A shaky breath was pulled in, held and slowly released before he looked back to Hyouko.

"What…" Taihou said, his voice lowered. He paused and cleared his throat, bowing his head as he did so. Without making eye contact again, he continued his question. "What happened to her?"

Hyouko pursed his lips, unsure of what else he should tell Taihou. Should he explain about the heartache and pain she had gone through, or should he just tell the final conclusion of the story?

The wind whistled over the cliff wall and he smiled, thinking of the fiery temper of his old friend. He could feel Taihou's eyes on him, but he didn't look at the New Feather. Instead he folded his arms and continued to look into the valley, getting ready to explain things to Taihou.

"…she flew over the wall." Hyouko explained, a wistful look on his face as he looked to the left, where the wall stretched toward the sky, blocking the view of what lay beyond.

_I wonder what's over there…_

* * *

Blonde hair bobbed as the New Feather made his way back to the bedroom that he had slept in with his brothers, his sea-blue eyes sparkling with happiness over the edge of the cardboard box. 

Coming upon the door, the boy soon realized his dilemma. The box was too large for him to reach around and twist the knob so the door would open.

The easiest solution would be to set down his treasure, open the door and then enter the room once his cardboard box was safely back in hand. However, the easiest answer doesn't always seem to present itself at the most opportune moment.

Backing away from the door, Hoshi turned around so that his back was facing the door before proceeding to walk backwards at the door, hoping it hadn't latched shut after he had left it with Sora.

He hadn't counted on one of his brothers opening the door for him. So, as he walked in backwards, Hoshi didn't notice the slight rise in the beams and, by the time he did, his balance had already been thrown off.

The box, being the first thing Hoshi let go of as he attempted to gain his balance back by pin wheeling his arms, went a foot up in the air from the momentum before it started to sail back towards the floor just as Hoshi's butt was to become firmly acquainted with the steel girders hidden underneath the sparsely carpeted floor.

Strong, firm hands pushed on his shoulder blades, on either side of each wing bud and prevented the final stage of his fall. Not struggling against the pull of gravity at this point, the hands were only able to break his fall, but he still ended up sitting on the floor, staring over a pile of worn-out clothes and back into the hallway.

A warm hand, similar to the one that had attempted to prevent his fall, landed softly on his shoulder, grabbing the blonde's attention so that he looked up to see his would-be rescuer.

One of his brothers stood above him, his light brown hair parted in the middle with half covering the right side of his face. His emerald eyes sparkled with concern while the rest of his face remained statue still as he knelt down next to the blonde.

"Are you okay?" The green eyed, brown-haired boy asked, his hand still on the blonde's shoulder.

_Tr…_

His mind stuttered over the hint of a memory and he shook his head before beaming at the other New Feather and his brother, Kakou.

"I'm fine; I just wasn't expecting you to open the door." Hoshi said, his voice as bright as his smiling features. Kakou's eyes widened for a second then crinkled into a smile, the edge of his mouth twitching in amusement.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to fall through the door when I opened it." Kakou explained, heaving himself up to his feet and extending his hand to help Hoshi up.

There wasn't a hesitation as Hoshi smiled and put his smaller hand in Kakou's, their fingers curling around each other as Kakou pulled the smaller boy to his feet. They looked at each other for a moment before pulling away quickly.

Toeing the pile of clothes that had spilled from the now split cardboard box, Kakou scrambled for something to say. A blue jacket caught around his foot and, shaking his foot to free it, he finally asked, "What are all these clothes for any way?"

By the time he was able to free his foot from the coat, he was too late to see the mischievous smile spreading across Hoshi's face. Instead, he was greeted with a pile of clothes being thrust into his arms.

"I was told that we aren't expected to stay in our Birth Robes for the rest of our lives. And, until we can make it to the clothing store with everyone else, these are available at our disposal."

Kakou blinked slowly at his brother, pulling a shirt off his head that had landed there in Hoshi's enthusiasm. Taking a deep breath, Kakou presented the only thought that was going through his mind.

"You're going to enjoy this way too much."

The blonde head bobbed again in response.

* * *

Thanks to Hellfire, my beta. I hope I corrected the errors aptly enough that she pointed out, but if anyone sees any, please let me know.

I don't have anyone to thank for a review on this chapter because it was released simultaneously with chapter 12, "To Never Fly". Think of it as my Winter Holiday present to all my readers.  Enjoy!


	16. Kindness of a Stranger

SinBound

Hyouko looked to his left in time to see a woman, who had been staring, blush and turn away. Looking to his right, he could see an older couple staring openly as the two Haibane passed them by, their eyes flickering to the black wings that rested on Taihou's back.

Looking to the New Feather, Hyouko could see the boy was looking forward impassively, as if he could not tell what those around him were thinking.

_I don't know if I could be that strong._ Hyouko thought, his eyes drifting to the limited view of the sky, which was blocked in by the tall buildings of the city.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt them turning onto the bridge, which meant they were almost home. Pulling up short, Taihou took a few more steps forward before stopping and looking back at the older Haibane. Without saying a word, the New Feather questioned what Hyouko was up to.

Heat rose to his cheeks at the steely gaze, but jerked his head to the left as he turned, not feeling the need to explain. There was a pause and then a second pair of footsteps fell in step behind him.

The two Haibane walked forward in silence for a few moments, Hyouko a few feet in the lead before Taihou increased his pace and caught up with him.

"Where are we going?" Taihou asked bluntly. "Abandoned Factory is back that way." The New Feather gestured behind them to add emphasis to his point, but Hyouko seemed to not notice.

Sighing heavily, Taihou looked ahead, trying to map the city in his head as best as he could. The New Feather was actually paying so much attention to this task that he was surprised when Hyouko paused to pull open a door to a random building.

Taihou hesitated slightly before ducking in with Hyouko before the door could swing shut.

As the door closed, the bell attached to the border above the door clanked dully, signaling the new customers.

"Hello, I'm coming!" A voice called from a room that was separated by a thin partition from the store they had entered. Hyouko took a step forward, toward the small counter that was near the dividing partition while Taihou took the time to examine the store they had entered.

Directly in front of him, there were three circular displays of clothes with several mittens, scarves and hats thrown haphazardly on the circular top. Along the wall to their left, clothes had been crammed onto a string that lined the wall, with two nails supporting either end so the center dipped dangerously close to the floor.

The sound of Hyouko talking pulled him to the front and he noticed a young man, who seemed to be close to Hyouko's age, had emerged from the back room. The man was tall, with black hair that was swept to the right with his bangs hanging in his dark eyes. He had thin whiskers, which seemed to be a sorry attempt at a beard, stretching across the bottom of his face.

When he realized the New Feather was looking at him, the man looked up and smiled at him.

"I heard you are one of the new Quintuplets. Welcome to Guri." The young man said, his arms folded casually on the desk. "My name is Takke. I run this shop with my mom, but she stays in the back most of the time."

Unsure if he had already been introduced, he looked to Hyouko, who avoided his eyes. Still unsure, he inclined his head slightly in Takke's direction and replied. "My name is Taihou." Rubbing an arm cautiously, Taihou finally gestured to the clothes that were before him. "What is all of this for?"

"Oh? You didn't tell him?" Takke asked, glancing briefly at Hyouko before straightening up. "We have the best in second hand clothing! Feel free to pick any one item off the wall."

Taihou could detect a note of pride in this statement so, rather than insult the first person that did not shy away from his stained wings, he obediently began searching through the clothes on the wall, keeping an ear tuned to what Hyouko and the human were saying.

"What else do you have in stock, Takke?" Hyouko asked after a brief pause. The man grinned.

"What, trying to make your rat nest of clothes grow more at Abandoned Factory?" Takke asked as he went to the partition and pulled out a box stuffed with dirty scraps and clothes. He set the box down heavily on the counter and laughed out loud as Hyouko wrinkled his nose at the mess. "Don't make that face; you know these are the best in used, unwashed and unorganized clothes."

"I think you get some perverse pleasure out of giving us this smelly box when we come in." Hyouko joked as he poked one finger into the mess. It disappeared and a foul smell arose so that Hyouko pulled his finger back, shaking it as if he could remove the smell. "I think I'll wait until Midori is available to scavenge with me." He turned to the back of the store and called, "Taihou! Have you found anything you like yet?"

The New Feather poked his head up from behind one of the circular displays and if his slight frown hadn't still been in place, it might have been slightly comical.

"Um, I think so." Taihou responded, sounding unsure even though his face didn't change. Hyouko waited a second then walked over to the display himself.

"Well? Show me what you found!" Hyouko demanded, smiling to show that he was trying to remain playful.

The frown on Taihou's face deepened for a second before he handed over the one item he had found to take from the store. Holding it up, Takke and Hyouko noted the pair of slim, dark blue jeans the New Feather had picked out.

Takke took the jeans from Hyouko and folded them up, placing them in a paper bag. He took a clipboard that hung on the far wall and held it out to Taihou with a pen.

"You need to put your name on that, as well as one of your feathers." Takke explained as he went around the counter and over to one of the circular displays.

As Takke pulled out a bright red t-shirt from the display, Taihou signed the form and Hyouko plucked a small feather from the end of his wing.

"Oh, thank you." Takke said as he took the clipboard and grey feather from Hyouko. The fact that the feather had two dark spots marring its otherwise perfect shape never fazed Takke as he handed Taihou the shirt. "You'll need a shirt to go with those pants. And there's a changing room back there." Takke said, pointing to the far back of the store. "If you want, I can cut wing sleeves into the back of the shirt…or I can leave it as is, allowing your wings to remain hidden."

Taihou, unsure what else to do, inclined his head slightly in gratitude before turning with the two new items and entering the changing room.

"You know, you're too nice to the New Feathers." Hyouko said, a grin splitting his face as he waited for his charge to finish changing.

Takke shrugged, smiling as he said, "So sue me for my one flaw in character."

* * *

Thanks to Hellfire for being my beta and leaving me a review...please leave more, I love receiving them! 


	17. The Aching Heart

SinBound

Taihou stopped outside of his bedroom door, clutching the bag in his hand that held the scratchy and worn brown robe he had worn to see the Communicator. Although he now wore sandals, tight, dark blue jeans and a red t-shirt, which didn't have any wing sleeves and thus hid his wings from view, he still felt as though he were wearing something awkward.

_What will the others think?_

Taking a deep breath, Taihou pushed open the door to the bedroom and entered without a second thought.

* * *

"Oh god, Hoshi! You've got to be kidding!" Sokkenai groaned, flopping backward onto his bed. The white dress shirt he had been wearing was now unbuttoned, flying open to reveal a white t-shirt with a well-defined chest and abs underneath.

Sokkenai put an arm across his eyes, hoping that it would make the blonde Haibane and his devilish smirk go away. However, when he looked again, the blonde still stood in front of him, the tight, black leather pants still in his outstretched hand.

"Come on, Sokkenai, you'd look good in them!" Hoshi protested, stomping his foot and pouting slightly. For some reason, he just knew this would get his way.

"All right, all right! Uncle!" Sokkenai cried when he took one look at the show Hoshi was putting on. Hoshi jumped in delight, giving a whoop of victory as Sokkenai snatched the pants from him. "Are you sure these will even fit?" The longhaired New Feather asked, staring incredulously at one thin pant leg.

"If we have to play dress-up then you are most certainly not getting out of it unscathed." Kenshin deadpanned, sweeping his hair back with his hands and tying it with a thin, black hair band that Akina had given to him.

Heaving a sigh as he realized no one was coming to his rescue, Sokkenai turned his back on his three brothers and quickly dropped the blanket he had been holding around his waist. He stepped forward and into the pants quickly, hopping up as he pulled to slide them on easier.

"It feels like a second skin." Sokkenai commented as he turned back to his brothers just as the bedroom door opened.

Looking up, he was the first to notice that Taihou had returned from wherever he had disappeared to that morning. "Hey, where have you been?" Sokkenai called to their returned brother in a friendly greeting.

Taihou looked up from the ground at the form of address, knowing he was the only one the longhaired Haibane could be talking to. Before answering, he took the time to appraise Sokkenai's new look.

Blinking, Taihou thought back on the question and then replied, "Out."

"Yeah, but where?" Sokkenai added pleadingly on the heels of the response, as if he had expected the simple answer. He approached Taihou and plucked at the red t-shirt the teen now wore. "You obviously went where we get to buy clothes…"

"…Yes." Taihou responded to the lure that Sokkenai used in attempt to draw him into more detailed conversation.

Leaving the long-haired Haibane blinking at the complete lack of conversation, he steered around the boy and turned to the bed he had slept in last night. He dropped the sack that contained his old clothes on it while Sokkenai sputtered and came up with something else to say.

"What, are you only able to talk in monosyllabic words?! Come on, there's always more the story than that!" The long-haired Haibane rounded on Taihou, determined to get the full story out, even if he had to strangle Taihou for the answers when the devilish blonde reinserted himself into the picture.

"He doesn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to, Sokkenai. We're all still fairly new to this world, so don't be surprised if it takes us a while to warm up to each other." The blonde said as he approached the two arguing boys. Or rather, the fuming and sulking Sokkenai and the stoic Taihou, who seemed to be quite proud at the effect his speech had on his brother.

The blonde reached out to Taihou, who had his back turned to him, and plucked at the red fabric of the t-shirt, right where the boy's wings were rubbing against the fabric.

The reaction was instantaneous, causing Sokkenai, Kakou and Kenshin to only blink at the speed in which Taihou whipped around and grasped the blonde's wrist. The action was similar to how Sokkenai had grabbed Midori's wrist. However, instead of seeming to react on instinct, Taihou seemed to be fully aware of what he was doing.

"What…are you doing?" Taihou hissed, rubbing the wrist bones together under his grip and watching as Hoshi's faced morphed slightly with the pain.

"I-I j-just w-wanted to offer to m-make you s-s-some wing sleeves, Tai." Hoshi gasped, attempting to keep his wrist as straight as possible while still trying to pull free at any moment.

As soon as the scene was able to be processed by the other three, they stood up and began to shout, both at Taihou to let go of Hoshi's wrist and shouting to find out if Hoshi was hurt once the blue eyed Haibane had released the blonde.

Cradling his wrist to his chest as Kakou stepped forward to inspect the damage, Kenshin and Sokkenai berated Taihou for his harsh reaction. In the confusion, they almost missed his reasoning.

"I don't want wing sleeves." Taihou said as Hoshi watched him even as the room was filled with raised voices. He then shoved past all four of his brothers and exited the room, slamming the door to signal his departure.

The room fell silent quickly, with Kakou making the only noise as he asked to examine Hoshi's wrist quietly.

"What's his deal?" Sokkenai asked after a moment, folding his arms behind his head.

Kenshin didn't respond to the long-haired New Feather's question but looked over at Kakou, who was cradling Hoshi's bruised wrist as gently as possible.

"Did he hurt you?" Kenshin asked, scowling softly at how rashly Taihou had acted. He watched as Hoshi shook his head, his golden locks falling gently to frame his face and hide the tears of pain that stood in his eyes. Kenshin scowled deeper, figuring that Hoshi was merely trying to protect the fifth member of their group.

"He didn't hurt me…not really, anyways." Hoshi mumbled, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment before looking up at the other three. "…but I think I really hurt him."

The comment left all three staring at the blonde for a moment, confused by what he could possibly mean.

It was Sokkenai who broke the silence first, crying out, "What? How? You didn't try to break his wrist!"

Hoshi looked down at the floor and pulled his hand free from Kakou's loose grip. He fidgeted from one foot to the other, unsure of what else he should say. _How can I tell them that my heart ached at Taihou's look?_

"I don't know what it was…but I know I hurt him when I touched his wing. I think…his eyes…" Hoshi tried to elaborate but soon stopped, at a loss to explain the way his chest still throbbed, as if Taihou hadn't left the room but was still begging for someone to understand him.

Kakou watched the blonde struggle for words for a moment more before reaching out and grasping his good wrist. Turning, he pulled the blonde after him, feeling the New Feather follow without hesitation.

"I'm going to go find something to bind Hoshi's wrist with…oh, and Sokkenai?" Kakou threw over his shoulder casually as he opened the door to their bedroom and pushed the blonde out into the hall.

The long haired Haibane locked eyes with him, questioning what he could possibly want while promising he would do anything that his brother requested, especially if he wanted someone to set their wayward brother straight.

Kakou let a small smile touch the edge of his lips, knowing that Sokkenai would be able to read his gratitude. "Your fly is still open." Kakou added softly as he left the room, the door falling shut behind him and muffling the curses that flew from his brother's mouth.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. Thanks to Hellfire for being my beta and only reviewer.

I'm sorry about the sparodic updating though. I hope to be a little more consistent until I run out of pre-arranged chapters (around chapter 23).


	18. To Hide The Stain

SinBound

A few minutes after leaving the oppressive confines of Abandoned Factory, Taihou finally stopped and looked around, the need to know where he was surfacing strong and clear. Ahead of him stretched a dirt path, which slowly became hidden among hills of long grass. Behind him, he could hear the slight hustle and bustle of the town.

Vaguely, he recognized where he was. He hesitated, then continued forward

A few hundred feet ahead and at the dip of a hill, Taihou noted the divergence of the dirt path. One part branched to his left and he knew it would twist back slightly before leading the traveler on towards the temple. It was the path that Hyouko had taken him down earlier that morning.

The other part of the path, which continued forward, remained a mystery, with Taihou only knowing that Hyouko had mentioned an "old home" existed somewhere up ahead.

Looking back to the path that lay ahead, he felt a sense of apprehension about going into a territory he knew nothing about. He glanced to the side path and knew he was unwilling to go back and submit to another humbling experience, courtesy of the Renmei once again. Which left only the path going back into town…

Taihou grumbled about his lack of options and dug his sandaled foot into the path, kicking up a few pebbles and rocks that skipped forward. A few feet further up the path, one of the rocks hit a ditch in the road, causing its direction to change and launch out towards the grassy banks that lined the road.

Hesitating slightly, he finally forced himself forward, up the path to where the rock had disappeared. It wasn't visible from the path, so he took a step into the grass, bending down and sweeping a hand through the long, soft leaves of green. It reminded him of…

_A feeling of euphoria, the wind whistling through his hair and the solid ground passing him as he ran. A fence, rising high into the sky but not even a challenge as his muscles bunched, propelling him effortlessly over the hurdle…_

As suddenly as the memory came, it disappeared. His back shuddered as if he had just run a long distance, making his wings tremor with the memory. The scabs at the base of each wing split, shooting pain up and down his back muscles.

He wouldn't let such a weakness show. Why he needed to hide such a base thing, he didn't quite know, but he kept his face an impassive mask until the pain subsided. With a short sigh, he slowly sat down on the grass, allowing the grass to graze against his hands briefly.

He looked around the green grass that waved in the bright sunshine and the dirt path that was only a few feet ahead of him. It seemed somewhat familiar, but almost as if it was disjointed, a section of happenings that had occurred long before his cocoon dream.

Intrigued, Taihou spread his hands across the green waves and lowered himself back, hesitating as he pushed his wings down to the ground. They protested being flattened, so Taihou shifted slightly until he was laying more on his side than on his back. He glanced up at the sky and watched the clouds pass.

_There had been a time…when I laughed at this…_

He knew it was true, but why one would laugh at such an innocent scene he couldn't comprehend.

He watched as a large cloud covered the sky, casting the hillside into shadow. Past and present blurred as Taihou was assaulted with a strong sense of déjà vu. He knew, for some reason, that if the cloud would just move, it would reveal some cosmic circle, some vital bit of information that he had been missing.

The cloud moved a little, but not enough to reveal its secrets. He shifted, trying to gain the right perspective just as someone knelt next to him. _The shadows were still thick from the overhead cloud as he looked at the person that knelt next to him._

_She looked down at him with green eyes, her red bangs swept to the side and tucked under the edge of a wide-brimmed, white hat. Her dress was white and she was young…so very young…_

_"Are you lost?" Her voice echoed, asking an honest question that he knew he would have to answer with total sincerity._

_He remained silent at her question, his eyes suddenly sweeping to her side, expecting to see…_he didn't quite know what he was going to see, but he knew that something should be there. So it was a great disappointment to realize the cloud had finally moved away and nothing stood at the girl's side.

Looking back up at her, he blinked to realize that she was not wearing a hat, but had a halo floating above her head, just like him. Her short, reddish brown hair stuck up at all weird angles, her eyes were brown, and her white and orange school uniform blew around easily in the gentle wind that cascaded down the hill.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked, pushing her hands against the edge of her dress and bending down to be at a closer eye-level to him. He looked at her again, half-willing her to shift back into a form he vaguely recognized...or thought he recognized.

She settled down, her legs splaying out in front of her, the sandals on her feet hanging loosely on her feet. She smiled at him softly then looked out over the fields, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

Moments passed between the two of them in silence, with Taihou looking to the girl at his side every now and again. When he last looked at her, she smiled softly and made eye contact with him.

"Are you going to answer my question?" She asked, her smile still shining. He blinked at her, trying to remember the question she had asked. Her smile remained in place as if she anticipated it. "Are you okay?" she asked again, reminding him of the first thing she had ever said.

He paused then responded in a non-committal manner. She looked to him, her lips pursed as she considered his answer.

Finally, she shifted, her hands tightening around a twisted container that rested in her lap. He looked closer, noting the twisted container that had a light pink liquid resting at the bottom.

He pulled back, choosing not to comment on the strange bottle, but the girl didn't seem willing to allow him to ignore her so willingly.

"This is Yukirinbuku, a sap that is derived from a few old trees that exist near the edge of the wall. The trunk twists around tightly, just like this bottle," She held up the bottle for emphasis. When he didn't add anything, she settled the bottle back between her legs, sighing heavily.

She watched as he looked away from her again, his eyes focusing on the distance and slowly becoming unfocused as he retreated to his own thoughts.

She looked back behind her, noting the lack of wing slits that were present in his shirt. Instead, the back of his shirt bulged, showing where the gray wings should have been free to show...if they weren't something he had to hide.

Cautiously, she reached out, looking to see if he would react to her attempt at touching his wings. He looked forward, not responding to her movement at all. Finding reassurance in this, she reached out, laying her hand at the base of one wing.

His reaction was quick, reaching out and smacking her hand away. She held her hand, feeling it swell slightly from the impact his hand had made against it.

She looked up after a few seconds pause, her eyes attempting to make a contact with him. However, she found that his blue eyes were looking at her, glaring at what she had attempted.

She folded her hands once again, wanting to go back to the quiet that had surrounded him and their simple conversation.

_Things are not that simple..._

She remembered that time, a few years ago, when she wouldn't have wanted anyone to touch her wings either. And yet, she wanted so badly for someone to understand her.

"Do..." She hesitated, finding his blue glare still pinning her down. She swallowed heavily then continued. "Do you mind? I would love to see your wings."

A pause ensued that seemed to stretch for a long time, but eventually he looked away, settling his head down on his arms.

"You don't want to see them. No one wants to see them." He said softly, his voice muffled slightly.

"I want to see them." She responded quickly, knowing that it would be too easy for them to ignore this and pretend that it had never happened. "I want to see your black wings."

He jerked at that, slowly taking the time to look at her closely. She could tell that he was thinking of what to say next and she waited for him to ask his question.

"...How did you know?" His voice was deep and his eyes narrowed at her.

She was ready to answer quickly, to give him the full truth. However, as the events came back to her in specific detail, she thought about the entirety of the statement. Suddenly, she couldn't give the one secret that Reki had taken with her over the wall.

"I...knew someone that had black wings...once..." She stammered, averting her eyes from him.

"Reki...?" His voice was soft as he posed the question, wondering who else that could have had black wings in such a short period of time.

He would have to find out more information about this girl who was constantly showing up in all the stories of this new world.

* * *

Thanks to Hellfire for so many things: being my beta, reviewing this story, and adding it as a favorite! I greatly appreciate it...I just wish I could get some more reviews as well...

Anyhow, I got over 2000 hits on the story now! I think that means you must like something about it, even if I am not being as regular as I promised with the updates. I wish I could change that, because I do have ideas...I just haven't converted them to the computer yet. I hope you enjoyed this chapter...five more to go before I have to be motivated in adding more written work to the computer.


	19. Dancing Around the Subject

SinBound

Akina covered a yawn with one hand, while mussing her unbound hair with the other. It was before noon, since the sun was only just starting to come through her window. This was how she always told time...at least, in the morning.

She smiled softly at the thought then threw the covers back on her bed and stood up smoothly.

A few moments later and she was pulling her hair back into the usual single ponytail, having changed into a pale purple t-shirt and jean jacket with slim, long jeans that flared dramatically at their base.

Without another thought, she began to head downstairs to snag some breakfast. On the way down, however, she found Midori, who was paused in the stairwell as she considered something.

"Morning, Midori!" Akina sang out cheerfully and she patted the girl on her shoulder as she examined the older girl's taste in clothing. In truth, she envied the girl's fashion sense.

Midori was currently wearing an extra long green t-shirt bunched up around her waist and jeans that had been cut up in multiple places, her hair bound back in its usual twin ponytail style. The older girl turned to her with a smile and responded to her greeting.

"What are you thinking about so early?" Akina asked, tempted to get the girl moving downstairs so they could both eat something. However, Midori would not move as she stated what she had been considering.

"It will be the quints first full day here that they don't have to be bedridden." Midori explained, glancing down at their room.

Akina nodded slowly in agreement, knowing she wanted to take them out to explore the town as much as any other Haibane, but she hesitant after the show of force last night. This note didn't seem to deter Midori though as her green eyes suddenly hardened as she headed over to the room. Akina felt like she had no choice but to follow her senpai.

As they approached the door, they could hear soft voices emerging from the room. Midori smiled, assuming the New Feathers would be in the room. She raised her hand and knocked quickly before opening the door.

Just in the doorway, they were greeted with two tense, stone-faced New Feathers, their faces emotionless as they regarded her for a brief moment. Akina and Midori froze, not sure what to do as the instances that had happened with the quints yesterday played through their minds again and again…

Sokkenai relaxed first, a brilliant smile suddenly spreading radiantly across his face. He stepped forward gracefully and placed an arm around Midori's shoulder, pulling her closer as his brother, Kenshin, also finally relaxed from his rigid pose.

"Midori! To what do we owe such a pleasure? And you brought a friend…" Sokkenai said cheerfully, a laugh bubbling just beneath the surface. This was in stark contrast to Kenshin, who was frowning at both of them as if they had interrupted a very important conversation.

Akina smiled, emitting a small laugh that seemed strangled to her ears. She pulled on the fuzzy memories that remained in the back of her mind from a time she couldn't remember and swayed cautiously to the side and away from Sokkenai and Midori-senpai.

_It's a dance…_

Akina stepped forward carefully, ducking to the side and swinging one arm up behind her back and the other to the front, pretending to be relaxed. Her movements were agile, but there was a touch of grace to it that could take one's breath away. She smiled again.

"I half expected to find you all still in bed." Midori commented softly while Akina carefully sidestepped the duo and then around Kenshin as well. Akina spun around at Midori's words to take in the room at large and confirm that no one did remain in bed.

_I wonder where they are…_

A shifting of a body behind Akina and suddenly Sokkenai was close to her, shifting on the balls of his feet to match her rhythm and grace.

_He's done this before…_

"We're quite similar. You and I." Akina said, smiling softly at the boy with the long, chestnut hair. He smiled back for her.

"I think you and I came from a similar place…whatever happened before our dreams brought us here." He responded, keeping time with her shifting.

Kenshin and Midori watched the dance from their spot near the door. They could not believe how good the other pair looked together as they shifted. It was as if they had practiced for hours before, but they knew that wasn't possible. _They were a perfect pair…_

"There's another word for that," Kenshin muttered to himself, drawing Midori's attention for a moment before she looked back to the pair. He, on the other hand, worked at finding the elusive word as he watched them perform their strange dance.

_A couple…two…D…_

At that moment, the door to the room opened again, ending Kenshin's train of thought as he spun quickly to see it, his hand flying to his side and making a grasping movement before he was able to really register who stood before him. Midori glanced over her shoulder and then back to the couple.

"Don't worry. It's just us." The blonde boy responded quickly without looking up and even realizing that Kenshin had reacted. He looked up, confused at his comment even as it slipped from his mouth.

"Great! You are all here!" Akina suddenly exclaimed, shifting her attention and her strange dance closer to the doorway and disturbing the chance Hoshi had to truly think about what he had just said.

Midori quickly scanned the group and asked the question they all had been anticipating. "But…where's Tai?"

Hoshi grasped his wrist carefully in his other hand, not sure what to say. Kakou placed a hand on his shoulder and leveled a cold stare at Midori.

"We don't know. He stormed out of here shortly after Hyouko brought him back from visiting the Haibane Renmei. We didn't have time to find out where he was going or when he would be back."

Akina's shoulders relaxed at the answer given. She had seen the boy with his black wings and did not desire to let his stain spread to other, innocent Haibane.

"Oh." Midori commented, looking at Akina and noting that the shifting dance was over, if only for a moment.

Akina forced out a laugh and a smile that seemed fairly confident before speaking up to dispel the bad air that seemed to have settled after that comment, "Oh well! C'mon, I'll take the four of you out to explore some of Guri with Midori!"

With that, she leapt forward in her excitement and grabbed onto Hoshi, who appeared slightly startled before relaxing into what was happening and allowed her to drag him out of the room.

Sokkenai followed shortly, his chestnut tail whipping out of sight audibly. Kenshin, Midori and Kakou exchanged a brief glance, not sure what to do.

"Sorry; she's a little exciteable." Midori explained with a sheepish grin. Both boys snorted softly at that comment before she headed out the door as well.

Kakou finally shrugged and followed the other four before they were able to get too far ahead while Kenshin stared after him incredulously. Sighing, he then followed the taller boy as they all exited the Abandoned Factory for the first time.

* * *

"Who are you?" The rough voice shattered the silence that had ensued once the chocolate haired boy had mentioned her old senpai's name. He had only been in town for a few days, so his utterance about Reki had stopped her cold. 

She looked up to him now, noting that his concentration had drifted to regard the wind-swept hills again, but she didn't doubt that a part of his attention was still trained on the present situation. She looked back out to the hills herself as she answered.

"My name is Rakka. I'm from Old Home, just beyond those hills." She inclined her head slightly in the general direction she had come from.

"Rak…ka…" He said softly, the name rolling around in his mouth as if he was tasting it. There was a momentary pause followed shortly by his response. "I've heard that name before."

Rakka straightened visibly as she had not expected this response from the boy. She looked up at him, trying to catch his blue eyes with her brown but he skillfully avoided any real contact.

_Just like Reki…_

She looked back out over the hills as she answered. "When I was born here, I dreamt that I was falling from the sky and straight into a well. They named me Rakka because I was falling." Her voice faded as she thought about the time right after her birth.

_Kuu had been so disappointed that they couldn't have been named the same._

"Who is Kuu?" He asked as if he read her mind and she jerked from her thoughts.

"How do you know about Kuu?" She countered with another question, her arms tightening on her legs, as the memory of her loss was still a fairly sensitive subject.

He looked right at her, his face blank as he responded. "You just mentioned the name after you explained your origin."

"…oh." She responded, looking back out over the hills. She didn't really want to talk about this so she ignored his question and waited until the pressure of his eyes on her back was relieved. She sighed slightly, grateful that he didn't press the issue.

"Why are you here?" He asked after several minutes and she watched him grimace. She knew he didn't like to talk. As a sin-bound, you couldn't help but get lost in depression and feel like everything was going the wrong way.

Rakka shrugged for an answer, not entirely sure why she had stopped when she was headed to the temple. "You looked like you needed a friend?" She asked, her voice raising the end of the sentence so that it became a question. He snorted his disapproval at her statement.

"Why do you have that?" He asked, gesturing to the bottle that still rested in between her legs. She looked down in surprise; she had almost forgotten that she was going to the temple to deliver the bottle rather than work.

"Oh. I was going to deliver it back to Washi since no one at Old Home needs it anymore." She responded, holding it up so that the pink liquid splashed to the side of the bottle. She looked back at the boy and his hidden wings. "I think, though…that Washi would want me to pass it on to you."

The boy looked at her quizzically, unsure of what to make of the strange gesture. He vaguely recalled the purpose of gift-giving from a time that seemed lost through the ages, but this didn't seem like an appropriate time or place to give one. After all, they had just met. Could it be this was some strange custom that he did not know about?

"Is this for some strange holiday?" He asked, his hands still folded on his knees instead of reaching out for the bottle. He did, however, continue to stare at the swirling, pink liquid.

She laughed and the bottle retracted slightly to be set down on the ground. He cringed at the sound and internally withdrew from the conversation, knowing he had said something stupid. She seemed to notice and wiped the smile from her face as she attempted to explain.

"No, no. It's not a holiday or a custom for Guri." She said, nudging the bottle with her foot. "I told you before that this is Yukirinbuku, but I didn't tell you its purpose. Sin-bound Haibane can use this on their wings to mask the appearance of the stain of sin."

She watched as his eyes widened in surprise then narrowed in doubt.

"If it was that easy, why didn't Washi tell me about it when I visited him earlier?" He asked cautiously.

Rakka thought about it for a moment, wondering how best to word what needed to be said before he came to the wrong conclusion.

"Probably because it doesn't absolve you of your sin in any way. You have to break that circle on your own; however, it can make your life a little easier, as no one will be able to see the black stain. Except for Washi, though."

"Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that he wouldn't be fooled by something like that." He responded, tearing his eyes away. If it couldn't fool everybody, did he really want to use it?

The cold gazes of Izumi, Sora and Akina, who had been in the bedroom that morning as Hyouko had awoken him to take him to Washi, flashed across his mind. He shuddered.

"So, how does it work?" He asked, turning back to the girl at his side. She smiled for him as she stood up. He took her signal and slowly stood up as well.

"I'll show you." She paused and looked back towards where she had come from before grabbing his hand and dragging him across the hills to a river that cut through the fields near where they were.

For the first time, he didn't attempt to shy away from the contact and allowed himself to be led onward.

* * *

Sorry I haven't updated in a while...things are a little hectic here.

Blindy - Thanks so much for your review...I believe you found out who the girl is right now in this chapter or last. I hope it is up to par.

Cryptkeeper - Glad you liked the story too and I'm grateful that you're willing to give the story a shot. Hope to see you back again.

Hellfire - Again, thanks for being a beta and leaving a review. And I do have inspiration, but I have to transfer it to the computer rather than remain in scattered notes.

On an additional note, that frying pan ended up encouraging me for the wrong story. I have a new idea, known as "Aphasia", which is a communication disorder brought on by trauma to the brain (stroke, TBI, etc). I'm planning on having 05 be afflicted with this disorder...anyone interested?

* * *


	20. So Much to Do

SinBound

After descending the stairs inside, Akina and Midori began to lead the four boys outside but stopped briefly at a corkboard that rested right before the exit leading out of their building. A few notes had been stuck up on the board, ranging in importance with one note commenting that Sora would be sleeping in late today and another stating that Kuma would deliver the halo mold to Washi later in the afternoon.

At the base of the board, however, rested several thin planks of wood. Inscribed down the middle of each in Japanese characters were the names of each resident at Abandoned Factory, minus the five that had just been born. Some of the names were in a red color while the others were a clean white.

The boys watched as Akina grabbed the tag that read her name off its thin hook, flipped it, and placed it back down. Midori did the same an instant later. Where their nameplates had been white before, they were now red.

"Come on, let's go!" Akina called and they followed her, looking back at the board in confusion.

As they approached the fence, Hoshi finally dragged up enough courage to ask about the importance of the planks of wood.

"Oh, it's a system we adopted from the Old Home Haibane." Midori responded as she kicked the board guarding the hole away from the fence and watched as Akina crawled through quickly. "If the name is white, then you can find the person somewhere around Abandoned Factory. If the name is red, that means that they are somewhere else, either in town, at work or off in the hills. It's a lot easier to glance at the boards rather than wander through the entire factory looking for a specific person."

With that, she got down on her hands and knees and wiggled through the opening. Once completely through, she and Akina stopped and looked back at the four boys.

"Be careful not to snag your feathers. You just have to hold your wings flat to your back to avoid it." Akina commented as she watched Sokkenai wrap his loose hair around his neck and then crawl through slowly, his wings stiffly shifting as she had suggested.

It took several minutes for all of them to make their way through the narrow opening, but they did. Akina and Midori smiled proudly at them. Then, without another word, Akina jumped ahead, skipping forward in the strange dance style that she had performed with Sokkenai earlier.

They followed her in a clump with Midori, not entirely sure where they were going or what to expect. Without any spoken words, they divided their attention; Kenshin and Sokkenai carefully analyzed the surrounding area to their right while Hoshi and Kakou took the other side. After all, the information might come in handy later.

"What are you four doing?" Midori asked, smirking slightly at their divided attention. "You don't need to worry about memorizing your way back yet. I promise I'll guide you."

Akina, who had heard the argument, came back and fell into step by the boys. They walked together for a few moments, their attitudes completely unrelenting. She hesitated a moment then reached out and lightly hit Sokkenai in the shoulder. "Relax. You guys are the most up-tight New Feathers I have ever met."

Before Sokkenai could really react, she had retreated and was even now backing up, placing distance between him and her. Her eyes watched him carefully, wondering if he would attempt to lunge at her for crossing into his personal space. After all, she had heard the stories and seen the bruises…

He looked at her and smiled warmly, detaching himself from the group and heading up to walk beside her. He forced his shoulders to relax and he looked around leisurely for the first time, taking in the sights and sounds as they slowly entered a busier sector of the city.

He listened half-heartedly as Akina pointed out things of interest and he was sure his brothers were doing the same. Midori would occasionally chime in with something that Akina may have left out in her excitement.

_Bread store…grocers…repair shop…furniture…glassmaker…library…_

"Can we go inside?" A soft voice asked from the group of brothers, halting the train of places that Akina had been listing for them. She looked over at the group, curious to see who had spoken.

Kakou looked straight ahead, undisturbed and unwilling to find the source of the voice. Hoshi, however, gave his companion away by staring at him, which caused a faint blush to darken Kenshin's caramel colored skin.

Midori smiled at him. "It's been a long time since a Haibane has expressed real interest in the library. I'm sure Sumika would be more than happy to see you."

With that, Akina and Midori lead the group through the double doors of the library.

* * *

Rakka watched as the boy shivered as she splashed some of the cool, river water onto his back. The Yukirinbuku sap had been applied a few hours ago. It had dried in the sun, leaving his wings a pale pink color for a good hour before she had coaxed him into the river to rinse it off.

She watched anxiously as his skin took on a slightly pink color as well as the running water around him. She had felt this anxious every time she had applied it to her own wings, worried that somehow the stain would show through and she would be found out by the others.

She breathed through her nose heavily when the pink finally washed away completely, leaving behind beautiful, ash-gray wings. There was not a spot of black on them.

"There. All done." She proclaimed.

She grabbed her dress from her left hand, which had been holding it out of the water. Evenly distributed between both hands, she then picked her way back to the shore, where the boy's shirt and both their shoes had been discarded.

She dropped the hem of her dress down and bent to retrieve her shoes. She took the time to look over her shoulders at the New Feather as she slipped her feet into the open sandals.

His wild, chocolate locks defied the water that clung to them, sticking up in a haphazardly fashion. His chest was well defined and tapered off into narrow hips that still had some room to grow. His jeans, which had not been removed for the occasion, were dark with the water that was held into the fabric.

_He looks nice._ Rakka thought, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. _I wonder why he is sin-bound?_

The boy pulled himself out of the river and stiffly walked over to her and she couldn't decide if it was the way he walked normally or if it was due to the waterlogged jeans.

A thought crossed her mind and she suddenly realized something.

"I don't know your name." She said, looking up at him. The sun was now high in the sky and she put up her hand to shield her eyes from its glare.

His shadow, which was turned toward her, suddenly turned away as he ducked into his shirt and he mumbled an answer to her.

"What?" She asked, quite confident that he had tried to brush off the question by murmuring it into his shirt.

A heavy sigh and then, as faint as a whisper, he told her. "My name is Taihou."

* * *

Hellfire - Thanks so much for being my beta again and for reviewing the story. I know the chapter is short and I hope you aren't too disappointed...but I hope to be able to write down some ideas shortly and let you review them.

Also, thanks to anyone else that read! Some people must have to get 23 hits on it.


	21. Jobs and Black Seals

SinBound

Several hours had passed in the quiet of the library.

Sokkenai sighed heavily and shifted his legs, which he had propped up on the table in front of him. His actions drew the brief attention of the beautiful woman who had been helping Kenshin find his way around the library for the last few hours.

He waved at her only to watch her turn back to the shelves and Kenshin's never-ending questions. He hesitated and then let his head fall back against his chair with a sigh.

"I'm bo-or-red." He drew out in a quiet voice, searching behind him for Kakou, Hoshi, Akina or Midori. His two brothers weren't present, but Midori nodded in his general direction, confirming her agreement with the singsong statement.

When they had first entered the library, all four New Feathers had been taken by surprise to find that there were people working here. And by people, that meant human beings; persons that did not have wings or a halo like they did.

When Midori had told them earlier that it had been a long time since a Haibane had been interested in helping out at the library, they had started to think that no one had worked here in those many years.

Midori had then explained that this town had originally been populated with regular human beings and, when they had first abandoned an old school building just outside of town, there had been reports of the first Haibane being born there. A few years later, the people had come to accept the fact that the Haibane were not going to go away as only more had been born since that time.

Midori also commented that Abandoned Factory had become populated with Haibane a few years later, but there were no other places currently where Haibane were born.

Since the humans lived here as well, the Haibane and humans found themselves often living together in a peaceful coexistence. Midori went on to tell them that the townsfolk watched out for all Haibane and protected them. In return, the Haibane worked for them for free. There was a system set up for the Haibane to buy items, but Midori hadn't bothered to explain the ins-and-outs of it yet. She insisted it would be easier to understand if they were able to see it for themselves.

Midori finally stood up, breaking Sokkenai's circular thoughts. She walked over to Kenshin and tapped him on the shoulder. He frowned at her briefly and Sumika, the librarian, looked saddened by the interruption, but eventually the darker boy pulled himself away. As the pair approached Sokkenai and Akina, they stood up and began to leave the library together.

As they left, they found Hoshi and Kakou hidden in one of the main aisles, their noses buried in books as well.

"Not you too!" Sokkenai groaned, bringing a hand to his face in mock exasperation. The blonde looked up and smiled at him bashfully while the taller boy calmly turned another page in his book.

"Let's go see the rest of the town. I promise we can come back before they close." Midori coaxed, allowing both boys time to set their books of choice aside. Kenshin, however, swelled at the comment Midori made.

"What do you have to say that makes you want to burst…Kenny?" Sokkenai tried, knowing he wanted to be able to shorten all the names to more informal versions. Somehow, he knew he used to do this all the time…

Kenshin glared at him briefly, his chest deflating slightly at the absurd nickname. However, it didn't prevent him from delivering his message within a moment to those gathered.

"Sumika has asked me to start work here tomorrow!" Kenshin responded, his chest puffing out in pride again.

He was the first in their group to have obtained a job and Midori had told them earlier that they were expected to hold a job of their own. However, they had time to visit several jobs the others were working at to find out what might better suit their interests.

Sokkenai wrinkled his brow at the admonition. "You sure this is what you want to do?" He asked, looking around at the dusty place that was filled beyond capacity with old books.

"Yeah. I think…it was a favored hobby of mine…back before…" Kenshin dropped off, not finishing his sentence but the others knew what he meant.

In this strange town with its strange customs, they were finding out how important it was to cling to what you did remember even if you were starting out with limited memories.

"Well. I guess we'll all have to figure out what to do soon then too. But we can't do that if we hang out here the entire time." Sokkenai finally said, swinging his arms up and behind his head in a relaxed manner.

Kenshin nodded in agreement and then led the way out of the large double doors.

Once outside, Akina and Midori exchanged a glance, indicating they were unsure where they wanted to go. Akina shrugged and Midori hesitated before heading more to the center of town.

The boys had been able to make ample use of the clothes the Haibane had collected at Abandoned Factory over the years that they did not need to go to the second hand shop. It was also still too early to grab any food yet, so Midori planned on taking them to the front of the city. If they were lucky, they may have arrived early enough to view the Trading with the Toga.

After a few minutes, they had weaved their way through the center of the town and then down the sloping ramp that lead to the large, stone doors that sealed the town off from the outside world. As they approached it, the wall that surrounded their entire world became more visible.

"What is that?" Hoshi finally stopped their progress to ask, his eyes riveted on the gray monstrosity that blotted out any view other than the clear blue sky directly above.

Akina glanced at him briefly and drew the connection, knowing what he was talking about when she followed his gaze.

"That's the wall. It surrounds our entire section of land and separates us from the outside world. The Renmei says it is there to protect us." She shrugged her shoulders at that, not sure what else to tell them.

In truth, she had never bothered to question the wall's existence. However, she knew this answer did not sit well with Kenshin or Kakou, who both seemed to want more answers. In response, she looked at Midori, who was looking ahead to the doors, scanning for the telltale sign that would let her know if the Toga would be here today.

However, the sign they searched for was not up. Midori turned to an elderly couple that had pitched a tent on the slope, some of their wares for sale resting just inside the makeshift store.

"Excuse me, but when are the Toga going to come to town?" Midori asked politely.

The couple looked at her and glanced at her wings briefly before smiling openly.

"How nice, a gray feather has blessed us with her presence. We're sure to have a good day now." The woman responded, turning to her husband with a smile. He grunted slightly and folded his arms.

"True. Maybe the five of them will undo the curse put on us by seeing that Black Seal earlier this morning." He responded. Behind Midori, Akina tensed. She knew exactly who they were talking about.

The man's mouth was a thin line of discontent and Midori wondered who he could be talking about. There had not been any black seals since Reki. However, her mind immediately flitted to one possibility.

_Taihou…_

Midori hoped she wasn't accurate. Smiling sweetly for the elderly couple, she posed her question again and this time was able to get a response. Apparently, the Toga would be coming tomorrow. That was why they had set up shop so soon in such a prime location.

Midori thanked the couple quickly before retreating to Akina and the four boys that had stood slightly aloof. She noted the tension and grim look that adorned Akina's face and made a mental note to ask her about it later. For now, she smiled for the boys, determined to not let her fears for their fifth member affect them.

"Let's go find a place to eat; my treat." She told them, her smile energetic and fearless. She turned quickly on a heel and headed back to the center of town.

"Midori?" A quiet voice asked and she turned back, still smiling, to the blonde New Feather. "What is a black seal?"

Her smile faded from her face and she took the time to carefully analyze the blonde. He had to have acute hearing to have heard what that older man had grumbled and she knew there was no way to hide this darker side of life from all four of them.

She gave a weak smile and responded, "We'll talk about it as we eat. Okay?"

With that, she set off back up the hill and the four boys hesitantly followed. Akina dragged her feet and followed last.

_What could we possibly need to discuss about Black Seals?_

* * *

The name sent a shiver down her back. Why exactly it caused such a reaction, she didn't know, but once it started she couldn't stop it. She locked eyes with the boy and realized he could see the shiver that traversed her body…and he was so sad.

She remained silent, even after the slight tremor had passed since she didn't know what to say to him to make him feel better about the situation. In the end, Taihou added the next note to their conversation.

"I don't even know what the name means. But it always fills me with this great…loneliness. And everyone shivers when they hear it." Taihou explained softly, his eyes downcast and refusing to look at her. It seemed as if he was avoiding her judgment of the situation rather than remaining bashful about what was occurring.

Not sure what else to do, she turned her attention to his wings once again. This quickly led to the realization that his now off-white wings were completely obscured by his t-shirt.

"Hey," she commented, smiling just for him. "Do you want to fix your shirt now so that you can show off your gray feathers?"

He looked at her in astonishment, taking in the smile of friendship and feeling his own cheeks heat up slightly at the attention, even though his mouth remained in a steady line of disapproval.

He shook his head in answer to her question after thinking about it, making a slight noise in the back of his throat to go with the negative answer. "I'm sure there are plenty of shirts at the Factory that I can make use of."

She smiled and patted the grass next to her before looking back at the scenery that was laid before them. Already, the sun was beginning to fall below the horizon.

_The days are getting shorter. Winter will be upon us soon._

He hadn't sat down beside her again and so, once the sun had sunk a little further and began to paint the sky in a myriad of colors, she stood smoothly, her dress clinging to the back of her legs as she pulled the bottle of pink sap up with her. She rested it against her leg for a moment before extending it out to Taihou, a smile well defined on her lips.

"Here. You'll need it more than me and I can only hope it helps bring some comfort." She said, waiting until his fingers had wrapped around the handle before she let go of the glass jar. Once the bottle was completely lifted free of her hands, she smiled more readily. With that, she turned her back on him and took a step away.

"Where are you going?" He asked quickly, realizing that she was not headed to town. She turned back and smiled as she walked backwards down the hill.

"Silly! I told you I live at Old Home, not Abandoned Factory. That is over those hills there." She said, gesturing in the general direction of her home once again.

"Oh…yeah." He said, his face falling again and quickly hidden by his chocolate colored locks.

She stopped walking away and watched him for a moment before adding, "I have to be home before it gets to dark. Feel free to come visit us at Old Home any time, okay?"

"Aa." He assented and watched her go before heading back to town himself, the weighty bottle thumping every now and then against his shin.

* * *

Blindy - I'm glad you enjoy the character analysis and their growth. I hope to keep everything going and to update as planned, but the fry pan that Hellfire keeps hitting me with, although supplying inspiration, is doing nothing to make sure the paper is transferred to computer when I'm trying to stay above my classes. I'll try to make sure I do something this break though...

Hellfire - The fry pan is doing wonders. If only I had constant access to my lap top when it hit and not during class when I should be taking notes...can't we time this better? :)

Hope240291 - Thanks so much for adding this story as an alert. I hope that means you like it well enough to keep visiting!

Ayane T'il Hime - Thanks to you too for adding my story to your Story Alert section...I hope I don't disappoint too much with what is becoming semi-erratic updating...I promise I'll try harder!


	22. Expression of Emotion

SinBound

"None of you are a Black Seal." Midori opened the conversation as she took one of the small muffins she had bought for the group and popped it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully and glanced at each of the four boys. Akina sat at the other end of the fountain, splashing her hand through the water slowly and without purpose.

The four boys remained silent, each preoccupied with his own thoughts. It was the blonde one, Hoshi, that spoke up at long last.

"But…what is a Black Seal?" He asked, his eyes rising from the untouched muffin in his lap long enough to ensure Midori was thinking about his answer before returning to the food item. "Why did that man mention it if it doesn't pertain to us?"

_Oh boy…_

This group was so inquisitive. There was no way to dodge around any question and it could not simply be dropped, since another one would just pick it up again.

"Some Haibane are born with darker wings than others. Some even have a black appearance." Midori paused, unsure if her sketchy outline would satisfy them. She bounced a tiny muffin from one hand to the next before continuing. "The townsfolk have come to call those Haibane with darker wings Black Seals and claim they cause misfortune."

"But that's it?" Kenshin spoke up, looking up at her with dark eyes filled with curiosity. "A base assumption causes such unbridled hate?" He paused, his dark eyes searching her for an answer. Midori picked at the muffin further, unable to comment.

"I-I don't know." She refused to look them in the face. "It's been a long time since the last Black Seal. Many Haibane now have never seen one…" She trailed off again, her story obscured by the tolling of the nearby clock tower, which warned them that is was approaching the fourth hour after noon.

Akina stood up from her spot next to the fountain in a huff, pushing her hands against her hips. "C'mon, Midori!" She shouted, her voice carrying easily across the entire plaza. She softened it slightly when she continued. "We have to go home now. You promised you'd help Sora and I with dinner duty tonight."

She didn't wait, turning on her heel and heading off in the direction of the factory. The four boys looked to Midori in confusion, wondering what brought about this sudden statement, but she could only shrug her shoulders in response as she bundled up the napkin and went to follow Akina.

All four boys slowly stood, shaking off any stray crumbs and brushing off dirt as well. Before the two girls were able to leave their sight, they headed after them.

However, they made sure to stay a few steps behind the two and discuss issues that were of utmost concern to them at this time.

"There has to be more to this Black Seal idea than what they are telling us." Sokkenai put forth first, one hand tangling self-consciously in his long hair. The group was silent with their own thoughts, watching as Sokkenai finished pulling his hand through his tangles, a thoughtful look slowly falling over his face.

"I agree with you." Kakou was the first to speak up, pushing his brown hair out of his emerald eyes.

The small blonde boy, Hoshi, looked up to each person in honest curiosity and voiced his concerns. "But what do we do?"

"That's simple." Sokkenai commented, his dark blue eyes catching the light and reflecting it back as purplish. "We take stock of what we know."

"And what do we know?" Kenshin asked, looking mildly irritated that the advice supplied couldn't be somewhat more specific.

The group thought before mentioning a few ideas.

_A Black Seal did currently exist, if the townspeople were talking about one._

_Akina's attitude toward the problem made it seem as if townspeople weren't the only ones that had negative thoughts about Black Seals._

_There had been a previous Black Seal, perhaps one that Midori had known; she had seemed slightly melancholy when discussing the subject._

"Better to ask now, what do we not know?" Sokkenai responded, glancing at each member as a slight grin curved his lips upward.

They looked back at him, their faces blank as his observation slipped by undetected. He heaved a theatrical sigh of exasperation when no ideas were forth coming, but his smile turned wicked.

"We need to talk to Tai…and get a look at his wings."

The others agreed with the plan and before they knew it, they had reached the broken fence. Kakou held back the plank of wood and watched his brothers wiggle through the hole with half his attention, his eyes skimming ahead to the building.

He hoped Taihou was home currently. After all, they needed to discuss the incident that had occurred between Hoshi and Taihou as well.

* * *

Taihou entered the room he had been given at the factory with his brothers just as the sky was painted a brilliant red. The sun had yet to completely set and he went about hiding the bottle of pink sap near his bed, using the residual light to locate the best hiding spot. In the end, it was placed underneath his bed and against the wall.

After this simple chore was completed, he slowly peeled off his new shirt and placed it at the foot of his bed. The walk home under the setting sun had been just enough to create some sweat that was quickly cooled and absorbed into his shirt, so he walked over to the box of clothing sitting near Sokkenai and Hoshi's bed and began to paw through it.

Just as Taihou found a brilliant blue shirt with wing sleeves and was pulling it out of the box, a noise from down the hall drew his attention. A second later, his four brothers spilled into the room, talking and laughing amongst themselves before they saw him. When they did, the room went quiet once more.

The room was slowly filling with tension as Taihou remained on the far side of the room, watching his brothers for a reaction to his presence. The four boys, on the other hand, remained close to the door and silent as they watched him for his own reaction.

Finally, the blonde Haibane broke the trance they had fallen into by stepping forward, a smile forcing through the tension that lined his face.

"Tai, you're back! Thank goodness." The blonde boy said, the smile slowly becoming genuine, but he still paused several footsteps away from the ostracized member of their group.

Tai allowed the corner of one lip to quirk up in a smile for Hoshi before turning his back on the group, pulling the blue shirt on as he did so. With his back turned, he was unable to notice that everyone's eyes immediately landed on his wings, searching for something that they had heard about earlier.

The looks were quick and furtive, hiding behind smiles or frowns when Tai finally pulled his head through the gap at the top of the shirt and his wings disappeared momentarily from view.

"Hoshi!" A loud voice broke the stillness and the long-haired Haibane ran forward and grabbed onto the blonde's hand, already attempting to tug him out of the room. "C'mon, we'll grab food from the kitchen for everyone!"

"But I…" Hoshi attempted to say, wanting to stick around and talk with Taihou longer about his previous outburst and inability to show his wings, which appeared to be perfectly grey, just like everyone else's wings.

One look at Sokkenai's face, however, made the words stick to the roof of his mouth and he allowed himself to be tugged out of the room.

No sooner had the two more social Haibane left then were looks exchanged between Kakou and Kenshin before the darker Haibane quietly bowed out of the room so a long, overdue talk could commence between the other two.

The gentle click of the door sliding into place made Taihou jerk around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Instead, the only thing and person to meet his eyes was none other than Kakou, the third born of their group. His slightly long, brown hair still draped over one emerald eye, but it did nothing to hide the malice eminating from the tall boy at the moment.

"I know that Hoshi and Sokkenai went to get food, but where did Kenshin go?" Taihou asked, taking a step back at the look in his brother's visible eye.

The other boy drew himself up straight and folded his arms across his chest. "He stepped out for a moment."

Nothing else was forthcoming and Taihou felt no need to put forth anything more in the conversation until Kakou had been able to say whatever was bothering him.

Finally, with nothing said, Tai stepped forward, wanting nothing more than to be out of the room until someone else was present. As he approached the boy with emerald eyes to escape, the boy's mouth opened with what he wanted to say.

"Let's get some things straight, Tai." Kakou said, reaching out and grabbing one of the boy's arms as it swung too close. To make his point perfectly clear, he twisted the arm up and behind his opponent's back, knowing instinctively that it would force the other Haibane to stay still without harming him. "No one had better be harmed by you and your outbursts anymore, or I will personally find a way to get rid of you."

Without another word, Kakou released Tai's arm, shoving him slightly to keep the other teen unbalanced. The boy turned back to face Kakou, his good hand rubbing the sore muscles that had been twisted in the physical assault. He opened his mouth to apologize, knowing that what he had done earlier to Hoshi had not been completely necessary.

However, Kakou turned his back and retreated to his bed, not waiting or anticipating the apology. No sooner was this done then the door was opened and Kenshin walked in bearing a pot of rice for the group, Hoshi and Sokkenai coming in shortly afterward.

He forced a corner of his mouth to raise again in a smile for the two social butterflies but couldn't help but feel excluded as the group began to interact and mingle for dinner.

_Loneliness…I'm all alone in this…_

* * *

Hellfire - Oh...thanks for clearing up the information about the fry pan. :) Hope you like this chapter just as well. The next chapter is going to be all new, too...once I finish putting pen to paper, that is.

I know there are more people out there than my Beta reading this. I also know that my updates have been really sporadic, and I apologize. I've got my hands full with four other plot bunnies and graduate school, so give me time. I hope to update other stories, though, if I can't update this one as regularly. :) Next one on the list is about 05 and Aphasia...still don't have a title though, but be sure to keep your eyes open.


	23. Loneliness

Sinbound

The blonde allowed himself to be tugged to the stairs before he yanked his hand free and demanded to know why he had to accompany the long-haired boy to go get their food when everyone was perfectly capable of going downstairs and stuffing themselves of their own accord.

The long-haired boy sighed heavily, his wings drooping slightly at this question. "I had to ask you what you thought. I didn't want to do that in front of Tai."

"What I thought?" The blonde asked, his voice incredulous to the point of almost turning the question into a statement.

"Yeah, you know." Sokkenai responded and made a slight gesture back to the room. "About Tai. He doesn't have black wings, so who could be the Black Seal?" The blonde shook his head in response, unable to answer the question.

"I don't know. I…" Hoshi began, but pulled Sokkenai down the stairs a few feet when he heard the door to their bedroom open slightly. They both watched as Kenshin emerged and pulled the door shut behind him slowly.

Under the cover of the door sliding shut, Sokkenai shooed Hoshi further down the stairs and they went to retrieve the food like they had promised for everyone else, hurrying as they went so they could be back in the room shortly.

* * *

The food was doled out and given to each person on a small plate. Dinner commenced in silence, but that soon changed as Sokkenai related some of what they had done during the excursion into town to Taihou.

The others noticed a few liberties were taken to make the tale more interesting and that careful precaution was paid to avoid the topic of Black Seals, but nothing seemed to bring the fifth member of their group out of his shell, even though he raptly paid attention to all that was said.

Kakou and Kenshin did not pay their previously hostile fifth member any attention. Sokkenai occasionally felt his eyes slip in his story as he glanced at the gray wings that brushed lightly against the wall with every breath Tai took. Subconsciously, Hoshi would rub his chest and grimace before brightly adding more information to their adventure.

"What did you get to do, Tai?" Hoshi finally asked when there was a lull in the conversation. Tai's head snapped up at the suggestion before it fell back down, knowing he couldn't tell them everything without giving away that he was a feared being.

"I…explored." He hedged, giving an answer without fully answering.

"Oh? Where?" Hoshi asked, smiling and sitting closer to the end of his bed.

"Just…out in the hills." Tai replied, brushing a hand down his arm and still not looking up. He scowled slightly, upset at the way he was acting but unable to place why. The bedsprings near him squeaked and he looked back up at Kakou, who was watching him carefully.

At that moment, Sokkenai yawned loudly, stretching one arm up and over his head.

"I'm beat!" he exclaimed and promptly laid down on the bed. "Let's hear more about the hills tomorrow."

"A-a." Taihou responded, lowering his eyes again. He watched through his bangs as the other four boys crawled under their sheets and settled for the night. He shifted and slid under the covers as well, listening to the soft murmurs of good nights that turned into soft breathing within a few minutes.

After waiting long enough to ensure each person was asleep, Tai reached a hand up to the middle of his back until two fingers were able to pinch together and trap a feather. As gently as possible, he plucked a feather from his wings and pulled it forward, holding it up to the moonlight that was now streaming in through the window.

On the feather, under the moonlight, Taihou noted a fine, black line that ran along its edge.

Sitting up in bed again, he looked around carefully before sliding to the edge and putting both feet on the ground. He hesitated a moment, then slid to his knees, being sure to avoid actually hitting the ground. He reached under the bed and pulled out the Yukurinbuku sap in the twisted jar and held it close to his chest, waiting a few heartbeats to see if any of his brothers stirred.

When no one moved, he stood back up slowly and made his way to the bedroom door. A pause once more and then Tai ducked out of the room, the jar still clutched tightly in his hand.

* * *

Hoshi twisted lightly, groaning as the pain in his chest intensified briefly before fading. With a start, he woke, finding the covers and sheets on his bed had bound his feet until they couldn't move, almost like a trap.

_That must have been what startled me._

Hoshi quietly undid the sheets and yawned, ready to let his head fall back against the pillow, but not before he looked around the room and noticed something.

Tai's bed was empty.

He sat up in bed and looked around the room, at the three distinct shapes of the others sleeping and at the shut door to their room.

_How long has Tai been gone?_ Hoshi thought, his feet already slipping out of bed and pushing himself up. He quietly made his way to the door and slipped out easily, shutting the door softly behind him.

As he entered the long hallway, he noticed a bright light emerging from a half-closed door at the end of the hall and frowned. If he remembered correctly, that was the door to the bathroom, one of the few rooms that had electricity in this abandoned factory.

Pausing for a moment's consideration, Hoshi took off down the hall and stuck close to the side of the hall, trying to avoid being seen by whoever was currently occupying the room.

When he reached the room, he hesitantly placed a hand on one side of the frame and peered closer, trying to find out more of the mystery.

He didn't know what he was expecting to see. He knew, though, that he had not been anticipating Tai to be on the floor of the bathroom, hugging his knees to his chest as his back heaved with unshed sobs.

His chest screamed in pain again and all he wanted to do was rush in and hold the boy, find out what was wrong and fix it, if at all possible. After all, they were brothers. Isn't that what they were supposed to do for each other?

Before he could move, Tai shifted and stood again, picking up a jar that had rested near his feet. Stumbling back, Hoshi quickly turned and walked away before Tai could realize that he was there.

In the bathroom, Tai squeezed one hand into a fist around the small feather he had previously pulled from his wing until he felt it break under the pressure. When he opened his hand again and saw the two broken pieces, he smiled sadly before tilting his hand and letting the two pieces fall to the floor.

_Everything comes to an end eventually…_

_

* * *

_Hope240291 - Glad I could take your mind off the science. I hope everything is going well for you now. This is a short chapter, but the next one should be edited and updated this week, I promise!

Hellfire13 - Again, thanks for your help on this chapter. Don't know what I'd do without it. Hope you can bear with me as I begin once again with this beast.


	24. Spreading

Sinbound

I know it has been a few months...or maybe a year...since I updated, so here's a slight review:

Kenshin (swordheart) is Wufei; Sokkenai (cold river) is Duo; Kakou (drop) is Trowa; Hoshi (stars) is Quatre; and Taihou ("Tai" for short) is Heero.

* * *

The next morning dawned, bright and clear as it had the day before. The first person to stir from their bed was Kenshin, who got up as the sun was just barely peering through the window and left, eager to begin his day at work.

Sokkenai was up second, followed closely by Kakou, both of whom were determined to find a job that they could work at, as Midori had told them. They had been given a list of places where Haibane were allowed to work and had set off.

Kakou had spent a few minutes, waiting for Hoshi, but the blond had insisted that the taller New Feather go ahead of him; he was willing to go at a later time, once he had gotten just a little more sleep.

After the three of them had left, Hoshi rolled over in his bed and stared at the covered form of Taihou, his back facing the room, with his mop of chocolate colored hair visible above the covers.

"Tai?" Hoshi asked, sitting up in bed and pulling the cover up and around his shoulders. He watched as his brother's shoulders shrugged slightly, bringing the sheet up and over his head slightly. "Tai, can we talk?"

The brown head shifted, turning slightly towards the soft voice. When nothing more was forthcoming, Tai turned and sat up the rest of the way in the bed.

Hoshi was sitting up in his bed, his blanket completely covering his shoulders and wings, wrapping tightly around his front and held on by clenched hands. His head was bowed and he didn't look up to meet Tai's deep blue eyes as they looked him over.

Tai hesitated, looking over his shoulder and letting his own blanket fall down slightly. His own wings were still a charcoal gray, with no line of black evident and his lips quirked up slightly, pleased with this turn of events. He allowed the blanket to drop from his shoulders before walking over to his blonde brother, who was still sitting on his bed.

The blonde head did not rise at his approach. In fact, the boy who had once seemed so sweet and outgoing hunched further down in on himself, as if afraid of what Tai might do or say.

Tai stopped a few feet away, his recent memory pulling up the conversation he had had with Kakou the night before. "What's wrong?" He asked, sticking one hand in his pocket rather than approach further.

Hoshi glanced up at him briefly, his teal eyes seeking the dark blue before he took a deep breath. He held it before looking up and locking eyes with Tai. "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

Tai, shocked at the depth of misery he saw in Hoshi's eyes, something that had not been present before, agreed without further thought and could not retract his agreement as the blankets slid off of Hoshi's shoulders.

Underneath the rough blanket, Hoshi's wings slowly slid free. Large, black spots, especially at the tips of each feather, warred with the beautiful charcoal gray that had been there just the night before. Tai's hand dropped from his pocket, his mouth hanging open in shock at the indication of sin present on his friend and brother.

A wave of déjà vu washed over Tai as Hoshi bent forward, hugging his arms and extending his wings while he shook with fear and frustration.

"I don't…" Hoshi began, his voice dropping off as emotion overcame him. Tai stepped closer and instinctively put out a hand to hold on to Hoshi's shoulder. "Why me?" Hoshi choked out instead, clinging against the dark-haired Haibane that was extending friendship to him at this time.

Tai waited a breath before reaching out and clasping both arms around his brother, folding him into a protective embrace and holding on tight, knowing instinctively that this was necessary for right here and now.

"I don't know." Tai paused when the words escaped, realizing a second later that it had come from him. When this was realized, he continued with what he had meant to say. "I don't know why, but I know who I'm going to ask."

Hoshi's eyes widened in fear. "You said you wouldn't…"

"And I won't tell anyone here. But the Renmei might know what to do to help you since you weren't born with the sin." Tai looked the wings over again, sending his memory back in time. "When did this happen?"

Hoshi blushed and lowered his head again. "Um, l-last night." He whispered and watched from the corner of his eye as Tai looked further confused. Of course, why wouldn't he? It happened after…"…after I watched you in the bathroom…"

Tai went stiff beside Hoshi, realizing immediately the implications of the simple statement. A moment later he smiled though, followed by laughter, deep and rich if not mixed with a bit of bitterness. When he finally was able to stop, he looked down to see wide teal eyes' watching him, wondering what was going on.

"Let's get your wings covered." Tai explained, refusing to comment on his brief laughing spell.

Hoshi, however, wasn't willing to let it go and brought it up to Tai as the chocolate-haired boy reached under his bed and pulled out the dye he had stashed there.

"I should have known why you would show me your wings…why you'd ask me over one of the others." Tai explained, focusing on pulling the cork out of the bottle rather than make eye contact with Hoshi.

"S-sorry." Hoshi stuttered, shrinking in fear as Tai approached him, a shredded cloth that was stained pink in one hand and the jug of strange liquid in the other.

Tai looked the other boy over…his brother…and ordered him to turn around with briskness that seemed…familiar. Hoshi's cheeks colored pink and he hastened to follow the command, getting his legs twisted in the mess of his blanket, but he kept his balance. He winced and clamped his eyes shut as Tai sat down next to him, remembering the boy he saw last night and concluding that the dye must sting.

Something soft and wet landed against one wing and was pulled down, leaving a trail of coolness down its path. Hoshi opened an eye, startled at the surprising gentleness as Tai grabbed one wing to stretch it out and finished bathing it. The next wing was grabbed and Hoshi was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear the next few words out of Tai's mouth.

"…id you dream of?" Hoshi turned, considering the question before turning to face the wall again while Tai finished the last wing.

"I told you already. I was drifting through stars…then, I couldn't breathe, so I…woke up." Hoshi explained, his eyes hardening as other images floated to the front, images he hadn't remembered before. "I was in something, before I was drifting. It felt safe and warm, but I opened up the area to the world outside. I stepped outside." He shook and felt some of the pink liquid shake loose and hit his cheek. He wiped it off, surprised at the thin liquid feel…_almost like water._

"Remember that when we talk to the Renmei." Tai said, hesitating before he reached out his hand to the blond and helped him off the bed.

He tugged on the red sweater that Hyoko had given him, allowing the comfort of the heavy fabric to push his wings close to his back. He turned back to the companion he was to take with him and bit his tongue so he wouldn't laugh at the pink wings. Instead, he rummaged through the box at the door to their room before finding a light blue jacket in the mess and handing it to him.

"Shake off your wings first, or else there will be pink stains on your clothes."

Hoshi blinked, then looked over his shoulder at the pink wings that were now in place of the black-stained ones he had had this morning. He looked back to Tai, who demonstrated how to ruffle his feathers. Hoshi followed the example and when he next looked over his shoulder, the wings were a beautiful charcoal grey once again.

He slipped on the coat and both boys headed out of the complex to their destination.

* * *

_Visitor, Renmei._

The hands danced before him, telling him what was about to happen and he nodded his thanks. He didn't bother to ask who was coming, as he could already see a faint outline in the doorway. He waited and they approached, one shape resolving into that of Tai and the other into another form his mind raced to understand.

_Tai's brother._

"Haibane Taihou, what brings you here?" The Renmei asked, wincing at the imperious tone of his voice and how the young man bristled at the comment. Either way, he reached out and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, continuing with the next comment. "I give you permission to speak."

Tai shook his head, clearing the anger that lingered in his mind. "I'm here for my brother, Renmei." He lowered his head as he had seen Hyoko do and pulled back, allowing for the full force of the Renmei's gaze to settle on the blond that stood next to him. The other Haibane, who was shorter in stature, shrank back, his wide blue eyes expressing concern and fear at the attention awarded to him.

"You are Haibane Hoshi, am I correct?" Hoshi nodded then paused, blushing briefly before quickly raising and lowering his right wing in answer. "What brings you here today? I give you permission to speak."

As the gentle hand laid down on Hoshi's shoulder to give him this permission, the Renmei's nose caught the sweet scent of Yukirinbuku sap, clinging to the third born of the group like a second skin. Without missing a beat, he reached out and grabbed a charcoal grey feather from the boy's back, yanking it lose and ignoring the sound of pain and protest from the blond boy.

The Renmei held the wing up to the light and twirled it between his fingers, allowing the sticky sap to come away before he lightly brushed the feather with his thumb and forefinger. Underneath, the feather slowly turned a darker grey.

"Why do you use the Yukurinbuku sap, young Haibane?" The Renmei asked, his words feeling heavy and sad as they collected on his tongue.

"I-I-I…" Hoshi stuttered, unable to articulate his thoughts. The Renmei looked him in the eye and sighed, allowing the feather to fall from his hand and watch it drift to the floor.

"You have become lost in the circle."

* * *

Hellfire13 - thanks for reviewing. Let me know if I am getting too far past when you last beta'd the story. Also, I plan on emailing you my plan for the next slew of chapters. Hope you are ready!


	25. The Circle

Sinbound

"_You have become lost in the circle."_

The Renmei's words echoed through time and weighed on the consciences of Hoshi and Tai as they walked over the green hills leading to Old Home, where the Renmei had told them to go after they had finished further discussing the events surrounding Hoshi's transformation to a Black Seal.

"_When you have sins, you find yourself in a circle. You search for the answer inside the ring, but lose sight of the exit. When, then, can you escape the circle?"_

Hoshi paused, recalling the words that the Renmei had told them afterwards. What was it to have sins? And what was this about a circle?

He must have sighed or done something to indicate his frustration as Tai stopped and turned toward him, digging his hands into his back pockets. "Want to talk about it?"

Hoshi shook his head and lowered his eyes to the dirt floor. "There's nothing to talk about. No words can describe this." He kicked at a loose stone in the dirt path, the tennis shoes he had been wearing turning darker from the disturbed dust.

Tai looked down as well, his mind racing as he tried to think of what to say. He watched his shadow shift under the dust that Hoshi picked up and, without paying too much attention, opened his mouth and let the words he was thinking about slip past his guard.

_Darkened charcoal paints_

_The wings are upon my back_

_Shadows on my soul_

Eyes were on him and he looked up, noticing Hoshi was watching him, his teal blue eyes burning with questions.

"How did you do that?" He asked as he pitched his voice lower as they topped the hill and a large building finally came into view. Tai shrugged, unable to explain where the words had come from. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked back up at Hoshi, who was shaking his head.

Hoshi smiled, knowing that wherever the words had come from, they summed up their situation quite well. He looked into Tai's eyes, seeing the depression there and decided that Tai needed something to distract him from his currently dark thoughts.

"C'mon, Tai. Let's go deliver that message to that girl…what was her name?"

Tai looked at the boy carefully before he spoke the name of the girl that had befriended him at the stream less than a day ago. "Rakka."

Hoshi smiled briefly. "Yeah, that's it. Let's go."

Hoshi pulled on Tai's hand for a second then continued down the hill, putting his arms out at the last minute as if to let himself fly. With the gray wings on his back, Tai was tempted to believe that it was true as he followed his brother.

Hoshi slowed down as he approached the stone hallway that entered into the courtyard of the Old Home, turning back to find Tai a few feet behind him. He stopped and waited for the chocolate-haired boy and, when they were together again, took a few steps forward.

In the hall, they saw a cork board to their left, followed shortly by several wooden planks. On the planks were several planks of wood inscribed with kanji characters. There were five large planks and eight smaller ones. Three of the large ones had the kanji colored red while the other two and all of the little ones were colored white.

"Midori showed us these before!" Quatre exclaimed, going up closer and running his fingers across the red print that read 'Kana'. "She said that Abandoned Factory even got the idea from Old Home. The red meant…what did the red mean?" Hoshi put a hand to his chin, unable to recall what Midori had told him before.

"Red means that we're not home. White means the opposite." A gentle voice said and the boys turned to see a girl with messy red-brown hair and an orange and white school uniform standing at the end of the tunnel that lead into the courtyard. She smiled and stepped forward. "It's good to see you again, Tai."

Hoshi looked back at the chocolate haired boy and noticed a slight smile pulling up the corner of his lips. The blond watched as Tai inclined his head in acknowledgement, indicating that he did know her.

"Are you one of Tai's brothers?" The girl stepped forward, smiling brightly.

Hoshi felt his eyes slide over to her perfect, charcoal gray feathers and couldn't help feel a pang of jealousy. She was so happy here.

"My name's Rakka." The girl's voice brought him back to the present and he looked to warm, brown eyes that only spoke of welcome. "What's yours?"

"…Hoshi." He replied softly, turning his eyes away from her kindness and suddenly wishing he did not have wing sleeves. That way, at least, he could hide his sin from prying eyes. He reached out one hand tentatively, then stopped and shifted the grip to his other arm, rubbing it up and down in his uncertainty.

Rakka stepped forward and grabbed onto the blond's arm, stopping the nervous fidgeting with both hands. She caught his teal eyes with her own and offered a warm smile to him. "Welcome to Old Home."

* * *

Sokkenai put both hands behind his head, grinning at the tall, silent boy standing next to him.

_My brother…_

_For some reason…it makes me happy…_

Sokkenai danced ahead a little, his feet twisting and turning just like they had before, when Akina had been in their room before inviting them to explore the town. Kakou smiled at the sight, glad to know his brother seemed so carefree in this world.

_We deserve it…_

The thought came to him unbidden and he stopped suddenly, trying to analyze where it had come from. After all, what had been so terrible that days of happiness and bliss felt like such a rare commodity? As he did this, he wasn't able to look up and watch what next caught Sokkenai's attention.

A softly muttered curse and the clang of metal on metal drew Sokkenai closer to an old, brick building, its shingled roof green with moss and the glass windows a smoky color. He stepped closer, curiosity taking the better of him as he walked forward eventually and pushed open the door.

A bell was set up above the door and it jingled brightly, announcing the arrival of a customer to the harried woman behind the desk as she attempted to explain the situation to an irate customer.

"Sir, please calm down. I'm sorry your order isn't ready, but the oven…" The woman tried her hand at placating the man, extending both hands in a calming gesture that just didn't appear to be working.

"I need that bread for tonight! My wedding…" The man continued, his voice growing louder by the minute. Sokkenai stepped in further, allowing the door to close on the busy street outside before coughing slightly to announce his presence. The sound made both of the occupants stop their arguing and turn to the noise.

"Oh, a haibane!" The woman behind the counter exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together in jubilation. The man as well appeared to significantly calm down upon Sokkenai's arrival. "You see, sir. Now your wedding is sure to be blessed."

Her words warmed Sokkenai's cheeks and he rubbed at his head, not sure what to say. The doorbell rang again and he looked behind him to seek Kakou, his green eyes surveying the lay of the land quickly and efficiently before looking down into Sokkenai's purple eyes.

"Two haibane! Well, I'll be." The man exclaimed, a smile now resting on his lips as he shook his head in disbelief. "You're right, Kari. Take your time with the bread, even if I have to send my brother later. I'm sure everything will work out."

After farewells had been exchanged and the bell above the door rang one last time, the woman turned towards the two boys and smiled warmly. "You must be here to see Hikari. I'll let her know." And with that, she disappeared out an alternate doorway.

Sokkenai and Kakou exchanged a look, unsure what they should do. "Who's Hikari?" Kakou asked at last, raising an eyebrow in accordance with the question.

Sokkenai shrugged, unable to answer as he stole forward to peer through the doorway. No one was on the other side and, his curiosity getting the better of him, he continued on, out the door and through a short path that led to another building. He pulled on the warm handle and, without a second thought, entered into the hotter outbuilding, the solid presence of Kakou behind him solidifying his resolve.

_If anything goes wrong, I have a backup…_

Sokkenai shook his head, not sure where that thought had come from as he rounded the first corner of the outbuilding and laid eyes on the center of the room. Three, large stone ovens were along the far left wall and a large granite table stretched across the right side of the table. At first, it appeared that the room was empty, but then a man came out from behind one of the stone ovens, his white chef outfit stained gray with dust.

"It's no use. I don't know what caused the ovens to shut down!" The man exclaimed, wiping his hands on a towel and turning his attention to the far end, where another door stood open. An older man stood in the doorway, scratching the whitened hair that was underneath his chef hat.

Sokkenai looked back at the white stone ovens. His fingers itched and he knew, without a doubt, that he could fix what was wrong if given the chance. Swallowing, he stepped forward, ignoring Kakou's warning that the other boy was hissing between his teeth.

"Um…" Sokkenai started, watching as the two men turned toward him in a startled fashion. They looked him up and down carefully as he continued. "I think I can fix it…"

He didn't need to say anything further after this, watching as both men suddenly smiled brightly. The man that had stood closer to the other door came forward, extending his hand and eagerly grasping Sokkenai's in his own. "A haibane. What luck! And he can fix the oven!"

Cheeks reddening again, he lowered his eyes to the ground in embarrassment. A soft ring, similar to that of a bell, sounded and he felt the halo on his head shift. He looked back up and saw the older man had extended a finger and poked at the glowing ring of light.

Feeling eyes upon him, the man looked down at Sokkenai and smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Haibane have always interested me." He took a step back and gestured to the oven. "Show us what you can."

Sokkenai followed the man with his eyes a moment longer than the invitation before he put his hands to his sleeves, pushing the cloth up as he settled to work.

Kakou watched for a moment, surprised how easily Sokkenai went to work and seemed to know what he was doing before he retreated out the door as silently as they had both entered.

The bell to the bread store rang as he entered the back door and Kakou looked up to see the woman from earlier enter from the street with another girl, who had wire-rimmed glasses and pale blond hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Her clear blue eyes looked forward and smiled as she saw him in the entry.

"Oh, there he is. I was starting to think I had imagined it." The woman, Kari, said happily, extending a hand and resting it on the other girl's shoulder. "Hikari, take a break and visit with your friends. There's no work to do until the boys from the clock tower can come over and fix the oven. Take these too."

"Thanks Kari. I appreciate it." The girl, Hikari, replied, turning to take a few pastries the woman was handing her and throwing her image into profile. As the sun slanted through the darkened windows, Kakou's breath caught in his throat.

_She has charcoal wings too.

* * *

_

Thanks to Hellfire, for being my beta. I think I'm going to stop adding in this one liner at the bottom though, since I only ever thank my beta. She has my eternal gratitude and I plan on finishing this story as time passes, but I think I'll drift on to another topic for now...


	26. Jobs and Memories

Sinbound

Hikari sat down gently on the edge of the stone fountain, the bag of treats settling easily into her lap. She watched as the tall New Feather hesitated before slowly joining her on the stone, sitting a cautious five feet away. She smiled and tossed her head back, looking up at the blue sky.

_Is it warm up there? Kuu? Reki? Nemu?_

She looked back down and focused on the boy sitting next to her, with his long brown hair and emerald green eyes staring back at her. She smiled, realizing how disconcerting it must be to go off with another person he hardly knew.

"Hey. My name is Hikari." She explained, extending her hand in a friendly manner. She waited and was soon rewarded as the boy reached out and grasped onto her hand.

"Kakou." He replied haltingly, pulling back from her handshake after an acceptable period of time. "Do I…know you?" he asked, unsure of why he felt the way he did.

Hikari smiled and sat back, her hands resting on the cool stone to support her weight. "Yep. I met you the night you were born."

Kakou blinked in surprise. "A-ah." He responded, settling his weight on his arms as he leaned forward. She seemed vaguely familiar…but not really.

A round loaf of bread was suddenly in front of his face, a light dusting of sugar covering the top of it. Being barely a few inches in front of his face, Kakou couldn't help but smell the bread and he was reminded of…

"Lemons?" He asked curiously, not moving to take the bread from Hikari right away. She nodded, holding another loaf in her own hand. As Kakou watched, Hikari took a bite of her own, chewed and swallowed.

"Come on, it's delicious!"

Tentatively, Kakou took the loaf of bread from her and held onto it with both hands, watching as Hikari slowly but surely devoured her own bread.

"What is it?" He asked, sniffing the strange confection once again.

"Melonpan!" Hikari explained, finishing off the last bite and quickly licking the remaining sugar off her fingers. "It's our newest recipe!"

Kakou slowly opened his mouth and took a small bite of the soft dough in his mouth before chewing it slowly. There was definitely lemon in the batter, but the dough was soft and sugary, like a dessert he hadn't been able to have recently. He smiled and took another bite.

"See? I told you you'd like it." Hikari said, her eyes sparkling as the bread in Kakou's hands quickly disappeared. She laughed and leaned back, looking back up at the beautiful blue sky.

Kakou, meanwhile, had two bites of the bread left to finish when something brushed up against his leg. Swallowing his last bite as best as possible, he looked down, both hands still full with the remainder of the bread, to watch a small puppy continue walking, his rear leg dragging slightly as his tail drew a trail of dust into the air.

Without hesitating, Kakou leaned forward and whistled softly, the ground near the fountain catching at the jean fabric around his knees when he sat forward.

The dog stopped and turned towards him, its ears perked slightly. Kakou whistled again and the dog turned completely back around, facing him as he extended one hand that held a piece of the bread. The black nose of the dog twitched and he took a hesitant step forward followed by another one before the puppy was just outside of his reach.

"Here you go." Kakou said softly and gently tossed the piece of bread at the dog, watching as it bounced off the dog's nose and fell to the ground nearby. The dog sniffed at the bread for a moment then quickly ate it, wagging its tail as it turned back to Kakou, expecting more.

Kakou gave a slight smile and extended his hand with the last of the bread in it, holding his hand open wide as the dog slowly inched forward to retrieve its treat. Once it was close enough, the dog licked up the piece of food as quickly as possible before taking a step back. Not to be deterred so easily, Kakou reached out an open hand and, before long, he had a puppy rubbing up against his hand, begging to be scratched on the ears.

"You have a way with animals." Hikari commented and Kakou looked up at her, the corners of his mouth twitching as he nodded in agreement. She opened her mouth to say more, but someone else cut her off.

"Oi! What are you doing out here, Hikari? I thought for sure Pan-san [1] would find something for you to do!" The dog left the comfort of Kakou's arms and he looked over his shoulder to find a young boy with short, dark hair closely cropped and a button down uniform on. Next to him stood an older man, his wire-framed glasses sitting evenly on his crooked nose and curly gray hair making a last stand on the side of his head just above his ears.

"Kana! That's not his name, and you know it!" Hikari argued, standing up abruptly to argue with the boy. The melonpan that had been in her lap fell off and, even though Kakou reached to prevent its inevitable demise, it still ended up on the ground. "Oh! Look what you did!"

"Ah! You can't blame that on me!" Kana defended himself, raising his arms and backing off behind the older man even as the older man threw back his head and laughed at their antics. Kakou watched in amazement as Hikari grabbed onto Kana's shirt and lightly punched the boy before giving him a hug, her frown quickly changing into a smile.

"It's good you could come on such short notice." Hikari finally said, bowing deeply to the small group. The older man and Kana bowed as well, exposing Kana's wings for the first time since he had arrived. Kakou looked for the dog, but since the new pet was hiding, stood up and brushed off his pants.

"Wa! Who's that?" Kana asked when he stood back up and saw Kakou for the first time. Kakou frowned slightly, noticing the boy was blatantly pointing him out, which didn't make him feel entirely comfortable with the situation.

"This is Kakou, one of the New Feathers from the Waste [2]…er, the Factory." Hikari explained, catching her mistake before she could possibly insult the taller boy.

"Well? Go on and introduce yourself! And me while you're at it!" The older man explained, shoving the younger boy forward. The boy put one hand to his head and hid his face in his hair as he mumbled something that caused the older man to laugh. "Ha ha! It seems that young Kana is quite taken with the New Feather!"

"Oya Kata!" Kana exclaimed, his red face coming up and turning to glare at the older man who had finally been named just as there was a slight rumble from the bread factory followed by white smoke coming from the chimney, which it hadn't done since the ovens had first malfunctioned. "Wha…who fixed 'em?"

Hikari shrugged as Kakou grinned, turning to Oya Kata and Kana. "Sokkenai. My brother." He explained before heading towards the store front.

Oya Kata and Hikari started to follow him, but a hand on Hikari's sleeve halted her forward motion. "There's more of them?" Kana asked, putting one hand on her arm in a self-conscious manner.

"Yes, five to be exact. Honestly, Kana, when are you going to get your head out of that clock tower [3]?" Hikari explained, winding an arm around her petite sister's waist. She never really had filled out like she and Rakka had.

Kana smiled brightly and threw both her hands behind her head again, acting as if nothing could bother her. "When I get it working, of course!"

_Old Home…_

_Well, I definitely couldn't have come up with a better name._ Hoshi thought as he looked around the broken down interior of the courtyard.

After Tai and Hoshi had met with Rakka near the courtyard entrance and delivered their message, they were asked to help haul the garbage out for trash day. And that was what they were doing, helping a girl who seemed fully capable and completely happy with her lot in life take out the garbage, scare away the crows lingering nearby, and setting the fire in the old device.

Rakka shut the door to the metal contraption and let the lock slide into place with a dull thud before turning back to them, wiping her hands together loudly as if to eliminate the dust and dirt from them.

"Thank you." Rakka said warmly, and it was so earnest that Hoshi couldn't help but smile slightly in response just as Tai did.

They didn't say anything else, as nothing else needed to be said…until, of course, the quiet of the day was shattered by young voices coming from the inner courtyard. Rakka groaned, but the smile never really seemed to disappear as she ran back to a small house in the middle of the courtyard, its door now standing wide open as a young girl and older woman stood on the step and watched several children play in the bare dirt in front.

Rakka ran up to the front stoop with Hoshi and Tai just behind her, bowing slightly to the two on the stoop just as they inclined their own heads in greeting, which allowed profiles of the two. The young girl was a Haibane, but the older woman clearly was not, as there wasn't a pair of charcoal gray wings upon her back or a ring of light hanging above her head.

"Good morning, House Mother. Matsu." Rakka said pleasantly before turning and gesturing to the other two behind her. "This is Hoshi and Tai, some New Feathers from Abandoned Factory in town. They were helping me take out the trash."

"Eh-hmm." The older lady, the one whom they assumed was the House Mother, grunted, but she inclined her head with respect none the less. "Welcome to Old Home. Have you enjoyed exploring Guri so far?"

Hoshi assented quickly and Tai was about to respond when he felt a small tug on his jeans and looked down into the deep, emerald-green eyes of a young boy no older than five.

And on his back rested a pair of charcoal wings.

Tai felt his eyes go wide in shock as he knelt down. For some reason, he had thought that these were just the townsfolk's children that were cared for by the Haibane. He had not realized that the burden of not remembering your past or your name could stretch down to one so young.

"You're one of the New Feathers, right?" The boy's voice pulled him back to the present and Tai looked back into the earnest green eyes waiting so eagerly for an answer.

"A-a." Tai responded, unable to say more. But it was enough.

The boy beamed brightly and turned back to the other Little Feathers that had stopped playing in the yard and were watching the exchange.

"I'm right! He is one of them!" The boy yelled and the other children, startled that they were now the focus of attention, turned back to the activity at hand, determined to not appear so interested in the world of those that took care of them.

The boy pouted and crossed his arms before turning back and grinning up at Tai, his eyes squinted shut. "I'm Fujita, cuz I dreamed of fields. What's yours?" His gaze flicked to Hoshi, indicating what his second question would be before it had probably even crossed his mind.

Before Tai could answer the boy's question, however, the children began clamoring for his attention and called him back to their group, where he was quickly immersed in their game, already forgetting about the New Feathers that had come.

Tai stood back up, watching as the children swarmed together than raced to the tree at the other end of the courtyard.

There were five girls and two boys, as far as Tai could tell, but one of them was significantly older than the others. Where most of the Little Feathers didn't look like they were older than six, one girl towered above them and directed the play in a commanding voice. She appeared to be no more than nine years old, but her eyes…

They were so much older.

_Green eyes stared at him from under the crest of her sun hat. They were crinkled at the corner as her mouth turned up into a smile that made the sun shine. Her red hair fell around her face, framing it while the rest of it was pulled back into a haphazard ponytail at the base of her neck._

"_I said, are you…"_

It was Rakka clearing her throat that grabbed his attention next, dragging it away from the children. It was Hoshi's hands wrapping around his upper arm that allowed him to maintain his balance as he backed away instinctively.

"I'm fine." He said, his voice rough and whispered to Hoshi, something that even Rakka didn't hear as she had her back to him.

"I can show you around some more, if you would like." Rakka offered, gesturing up at the other buildings. Hoshi looked to her and back to Tai before making eye contact with Rakka as she turned to them for their answer.

Tai shook his head. Hoshi barely needed the confirmation before politely declining the offer that had been made.

"No, but thank you." Hoshi said, but Rakka's smile didn't fade like he thought it would. Instead, she followed them back to the front and watched them as they were heading back to the town.

As they began to leave, Tai turned back to ask a question. "The older child…" He began, and Rakka smiled wider.

"You mean Hana?" She clarified, looking over her shoulder at the Little Feathers being herded back into the school house. She waved as the older Little Feather looked back out at them, her serious green eyes glancing off of Tai before smiling at Rakka and waving as well.

"Hana? As in flower?" Hoshi asked, closing his eyes as he tried to correctly figure out what dream may have resulted in such a name.

Tai, however, was lost in different thoughts.

_A yellow flower, pushed into his face with a grubby, small hand attached. Green eyes smiling and a strange whining sound._

"_Here, I'll give you this flower."_

"Yes, she was named for her dream to one day own a flower shop, but she also says that there was a flower in her cocoon dream." Rakka shrugged. "She never tells us the whole story."

"Did she use to have longer hair?" Tai felt himself asking the question before he was able to completely register what he was asking.

Rakka looked at him for a second before smiling. "I heard that she had longer hair that she wore in a ponytail shortly after breaking out of the cocoon, but that it got cut in a visit to the Factory."

Hoshi and Tai exchanged a look then looked back at Rakka in confusion. Abandoned Factory had Little Feathers?

Rakka's laugh broke their thoughts and they stared at her, wondering what could be so funny.

"We take care of the Factory's Little Feathers. You lot like to play rough, sometimes too rough for the young ones and they would get hurt otherwise. Once they appear to be about ten or eleven summers old and can claim a job in the town, they move back in with you." Her eyes clouded slightly and for the first time since they had started talking to her, Hoshi noticed that she actually looked sad. "Most of them don't stay long enough to claim a job, though."

"Rakka?" Tai was the one to break the slight silence that had begun and was starting to make them both uncomfortable, wondering what Rakka could possibly mean.

She smiled at them again and lightly punched her head while sticking out her tongue. "Sorry, just getting lost in some of my memories. You should head back soon, or else you'll miss dinner at the factory."

Hoshi and Tai hesitated briefly, but then made their farewells and continued out of Old Home. Hoshi looked back briefly over his shoulder to watch Rakka as she stared off towards the western forest, her face holding that melancholy look again. As he watched, he saw her mouth a few words, their sound carried to him on a light breeze.

"Kuu…Reki…Nemu…hope you're happy over there."

Feeling like a trespasser on someone's grief, Hoshi turned back to Tai and followed him to the bridge before turning back into town.

[1] – Pan-san is a nickname, with the word "pan" actually meaning "bread" in Japanese. Kana thought she was very clever with that one…

[2] – I'm not sure yet if this will ever fit into the story, but Old Home and Abandoned Factory used to have a rivalry, where Old Home occupants called the Factory "Wasteland" and Old Home was referred to as decrepit building (actual name was not found)

[3] – There is a clock tower at Old Home that has been Kana's pastime and she continues to attempt to repair it, from a few months after she hatched to present. She often spends much of her time in there, which is why Hikari changed the saying from her "head in the clouds" to getting her "head out of the clock tower"


End file.
